ADEN, October 21 (Aalimi Nation) – A powerful explosion was heard in Aden on Wednesday after the Houthi movement said it had fired a ballistic missile at a Saudi-run military camp in the southern Yemeni city, the third attack on the seat of Yemen's internationally recognised government in a week.
Houthi claim and what was seen
Yahya Saree, the military spokesman for the Houthis, said the group had struck the "operations room" of the Saudi-led coalition at the Badr camp in Aden. He described the strike as precise and direct.
A police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said smoke was rising near Aden International Airport and that the blast was caused by a Houthi missile. Two security sources said the target was a site near the airport that belongs to coalition forces. There was no immediate comment from the Yemeni government or the coalition, and no casualty figures had been released. The Houthi account of the target has not been independently confirmed.
Third attack in a week
The strike followed an attack on Friday in which two missiles landed inside the airport perimeter. The Houthis claimed responsibility for that attack. The day before, a missile attack on the Al-Maashiq presidential compound, which hosts government and coalition forces, hit command centres inside the complex and was described as deadly. No casualty figures for that attack were available.
Fighting elsewhere
The coalition said it was engaged in heavy fighting with Houthi forces in the Kahboub area of south-western Yemen. A coalition spokesperson said forces were trying to repel a large-scale attack under intense bombardment and called the situation "very dangerous". He said clashes were continuing with intensive air cover provided by the coalition and Yemeni forces.
Separately, coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said on social media that forces had intercepted five drones aimed at Saudi Arabia, over the Medina region and the Eastern Province. He did not say who had launched them. The Houthis denied targeting Saudi territory, with Saree saying their forces had not carried out any deep operations inside the kingdom.
Background to the escalation
A truce that had held since 2022 collapsed earlier this year. Fighting then escalated sharply last month, when the Houthis seized strategic territory along the Red Sea coast. Government forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, have since launched a counteroffensive named Operation Dawn of Yemen, which aims to recapture territory, including the capital Sanaa, held by the Houthis since 2014.
The Houthis have also declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia. The Yemeni conflict is now part of a wider regional war that began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran in February.
