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Yemen’s Houthi rebels attacked Aden International Airport with ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones early Wednesday, as fighting intensified between the Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces, officials said.
Yemen’s Transport Ministry said at least two missiles targeted the airport, with one landing near the runway just minutes before a flight from Cairo was scheduled to arrive.
Authorities cancelled the landing and diverted the aircraft to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to protect passengers. Two aircraft on the ground were also moved away from the area amid fears of further attacks.
No casualties were immediately reported.
Aden International Airport is the main international gateway for parts of Yemen outside Houthi control.
The Houthis said they had targeted Saudi military supplies at a camp near the airport, rather than the civilian facility itself.
The attack came as Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces, supported by Saudi-led coalition airstrikes, launched an offensive to retake territory along the Red Sea coast and around the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The Saudi-led coalition also said it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile north of Riyadh. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree separately claimed attacks on airports and military facilities in Saudi Arabia, although some of those claims had not been independently confirmed.
The latest escalation has raised concerns over the safety of civilian aviation and shipping through the strategically important region.
