Houthis Target Aden and Al-Rayyan Airports as Attacks on Civilian Aviation Escalate in Yemen and Saudi Arabia

Ballistic missile strike on Aden Airport and three drones targeting Al-Rayyan Airport in Mukalla coincide with civilian flights and humanitarian aviation operations.

Yemen’outhis Target Aden and Al-Rayyan Airports as Attacks on Civilian Aviation Escalate in Yemen and Saudi Arabia Aden International Airport and Al-Rayyan International Airport in Mukalla on Wednesday with a ballistic missile and three drones, marking a further escalation in attacks on civilian airports amid the ongoing Dawn of Yemen military offensive launched by government forces with coalition support

The ministry said Aden International Airport had been targeted for the fourth time during the latest escalation. The attack occurred shortly after two civilian flights departed for Amman and Cairo, and moments after an aircraft associated with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) landed at the airport.

The ministry added that the strike forced authorities to suspend and postpone two scheduled flights to Addis Ababa and Cairo and evacuate passengers and airport personnel as a precautionary measure.

In Hadramout Governorate, Al-Rayyan International Airport in Mukalla was targeted by three drones that landed near the runway, causing no reported casualties or damage, according to Yemeni authorities.

Houthis Acknowledge Attacks but Claim Military Targets

The Houthis acknowledged carrying out both attacks in Aden and Mukalla but claimed that their intended targets were military facilities rather than civilian aviation infrastructure.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree has alleged that the ballistic missile strike targeted a Saudi operations room inside Badr Military Camp, adjacent to Aden International Airport.

He also claimed that the drone attack on Al-Rayyan Airport targeted Saudi military equipment allegedly transported to the facility aboard military cargo aircraft.

The Houthis provided no independently verifiable evidence supporting their claims about the nature of the targets or the results of the strikes. Yemeni authorities, meanwhile, maintain that the attacks endangered civilian airports, commercial flights, and humanitarian aviation operations.

Escalating Campaign Against Airports

The latest strikes are part of a series of repeated Houthi attacks on airports in Yemen and Saudi Arabia since the beginning of October.

On October 16, Aden International Airport was struck by two ballistic missiles that, according to the Yemeni government, landed near a Yemenia Airways aircraft preparing to depart for Cairo, placing passengers and crew at serious risk.

In Saudi Arabia, coalition spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Maliki announced on October 15 that King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh had been subjected to 20 attacks since the beginning of the month. According to coalition statements, the attacks resulted in fatalities and hundreds of injuries.

The repeated strikes suggest an increasing Houthi focus on airports and nearby facilities, potentially aimed at disrupting air traffic, exerting pressure on the Yemeni government and the Saudi-led coalition, and demonstrating the group’s continued missile and drone capabilities despite ongoing military operations targeting its infrastructure.

The timing of Wednesday’s attack on Aden Airport, coinciding with the presence of aircraft associated with international humanitarian organizations, has also raised concerns about the safety of humanitarian flights.

Unverified flight-tracking reports indicated that three aircraft reportedly scheduled to continue to Sanaa did not complete their planned journeys and instead returned toward Djibouti. The reasons for the reported diversions remain unclear, and no independent confirmation has established a direct connection to the airport attack.

Yemen’s Ministry of Transport called on the United Nations and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to take urgent measures to protect civilian airports and hold those responsible for the attacks accountable.