Saudi Strike Kills 14 Houthis as Iran-Backed Militants Target Aden

At least 14 people were killed in strikes blamed on Saudi Arabia in Houthi-controlled Yemen on Wednesday, while the Iran-backed group targeted the perimeter of Aden airport, a stronghold of the internationally recognised government. The latest attacks mark a further escalation in violence since Yemen’s conflict reignited this summer.

Houthi-run broadcaster Almasirah reported that the strikes killed 14 people and wounded 10 others, including women and children, according to a preliminary toll. The attacks reportedly hit a market and a petrol station in the northwestern province of Jawf.

In Aden, a Houthi missile landed within the airport perimeter shortly before the group called for the area to be evacuated, a local police source told AFP.

The official said the strike occurred while a Saudi military aircraft was at the airport. However, the aircraft was not hit and departed shortly afterwards. The source spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree called on people at Aden airport to leave immediately, alleging that a Saudi military cargo plane was transporting weapons to be used against Yemenis. He made the statement in a post on Telegram.

The Houthis have targeted Aden several times in recent weeks, while also intensifying attacks against Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government it supports. The renewed fighting has added another dimension to the wider Middle East conflict that erupted following US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February.

The same Aden police official told AFP on Saturday that the Houthis had targeted a Saudi-led coalition military position near the airport. The site had also come under attack the previous week.

Earlier this month, two missiles landed inside the airport perimeter, a day after a deadly missile strike hit the presidential palace in Aden.

Yemen’s fragile 2022 truce collapsed in July after the Houthis allowed an Iranian aircraft to land in the capital, Sanaa, defying Saudi restrictions on Yemeni airspace and triggering a fresh wave of attacks.

The Houthis subsequently announced a maritime blockade targeting Saudi Arabia and began attacking its vessels, territory and oil facilities. They also launched a rapid offensive that seized government-held territory along Yemen’s Red Sea coastline.

Since then, the Houthis have repeatedly reported Saudi airstrikes across areas under their control, signalling a further deterioration in the already volatile conflict.