Houthi missile attack on Aden presidential palace kills five, officials say

Five people were killed and 16 injured in a Houthi missile attack on al-Maashiq Palace in Aden, the seat of Yemen’s internationally recognised government.

Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani said five ballistic missiles struck the palace, but Prime Minister Shaya Zindani and other ministers were unharmed. Verified video footage showed smoke rising above the building.

Health Minister Qasim Buhaibeh said the casualties included guards and civilian employees working at the site.

Houthis identify military headquarters as target

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the group had targeted what he called the Saudi enemy’s military operations headquarters in Aden. Prime Minister Zindani condemned the attack and said the government would continue its work and military operations against the Houthis.

Saudi Arabia leads a coalition backing Yemen’s government and providing air support to pro-government forces fighting the Iran-backed Houthis.

Regional exchange of missile strikes

The Houthis earlier denied attacking Saudi Arabia after the coalition said it had intercepted a cruise missile in the Medina region. On Saturday, a Houthi missile strike on Riyadh’s international airport killed 13 people.

Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Rayed Krimly accused Iran of arming, training and supporting the Houthis. Iran denies supplying them with weapons, says it provides political support, and has offered assistance to help begin talks with Saudi Arabia.

Yemen war and humanitarian toll

Yemen’s civil war began in 2014, when the Houthis ousted the internationally recognised government from Sanaa. The conflict intensified in 2015 after a Saudi-led coalition intervened.

According to the government’s health ministry, at least 1,282 people have been killed since 6 August, with 5,890 injured. The UN says 201,000 people have been displaced and suspected cholera cases have risen sharply.