Yemeni govt says premier safe after attack on home

Yemen's Information Ministry announced on Thursday that Prime Minister Shaya al-Zindani and government officials remained unharmed in the aftermath of a missile strike on al-Maashiq Palace in Aden, the southern port city. The ministry attributed the attack to Iran-backed Houthi militia, which resulted in the deaths of two members of the prime minister's security detail.

The extent of damage to the palace and its surrounding areas remained unknown. The Houthi-controlled SABA news agency, citing a military source, claimed that the group had targeted a military operations center within the palace, along with nearby weapons depots, believed to be controlled by Saudi officers. Saudi media reported that the Houthi militia had indeed targeted the palace, which houses the Yemeni government headquarters in the Crater district.

Witnesses had previously heard five explosions near the palace and observed smoke rising from the area. The internationally recognized government had been operating from Aden since the Houthis seized the capital Sana'a and other northern regions in 2014. President Rashad al-Alimi, the head of the government, had reportedly not been injured during the attack.

Aden, one of Yemen's largest cities with a significant port near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, has historically been a vital trading center. The palace is situated on a hill overlooking the Gulf of Aden.