Houthis strike Yemen’s Aden: What that means

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels struck Aden International Airport late on Friday, just a day after launching a deadly assault on the presidential palace in the port city. Aden has served as the nation's capital since 2015 following the Houthi seizure of Sanaa, sparking a decade-long conflict. The rebels are currently battling both Yemen's internationally-recognized government and their Saudi-backed adversaries.

Information Minister Moammar Al Eryani reported that two missiles landed near the runway at Aden International Airport, located just 500 meters (1,640 feet) from an aircraft preparing to depart. The missiles struck the plane without causing injuries, according to Mr. Al Eryani. The attacks on the airport constitute a "severe violation of international laws and norms," he added.

The Aden Security Department confirmed this was the second attack on the facility within a week. In a statement purportedly from a military source, the Houthies claimed they targeted "the Saudi forces' command headquarters in the Badr camp in Aden province" and a weapons depot. The security department disclosed that a Yemenia Airways flight bound for Cairo was in the process of taking off when the missiles landed.

This Houthi attack on the presidential palace marked the first time they had struck the palace since the resumption of fighting in Yemen just last month, following a four-year hiatus. Marwan Ali Noman, a political advisor to Yemen's Foreign Minister Afrah Al Zouba, told The National that the Houthi rebels would not be able to disrupt daily life or undermine state authority as the government continues a military and political campaign against them.

The ongoing conflict and the persistent Houthi attacks have heightened concerns about a further escalation of Yemen's humanitarian crisis. Aid organizations have warned that conditions are deteriorating rapidly. The Yemen war, which began in 2014, sees the Houthis seizing the capital of Sanaa and pushing the internationally-recognized government south.

Yemeni government forces announced on Friday that they had gained significant "territorial progress" in Marib province to the northeast of Sanaa, securing key positions with air support. Over 430 Houthi fighters have been "neutralized" during the past 24 hours, and more than 100 of their vehicles and military assets were destroyed or disabled.

Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition that is fighting the Houthis released aerial footage showing strikes on a Houthi weapons-smuggling operation in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. The nearly six-minute video, dated October 16, depicts apparent air strikes hitting trucks, small boats, and storage facilities.