Yemen Accuses Houthis of Missile Attacks Near Aden

Yemen's internationally recognized government accused Houthi forces of launching ballistic missiles at a displacement camp west of Aden on October 26, 2026, as attacks on southern Yemen and Saudi Arabia intensified. The allegations followed reported strikes on Aden International Airport, coast guard facilities and other military sites, while fighting continued around the strategic city of Taiz.

Yemen's Information Ministry identified the displacement camp as being in Ras Imran, west of Aden, the country's interim capital. The ministry did not provide casualty figures or details of damage from the alleged attack.

According to Yemen's Interior Ministry, three ballistic missiles were fired at two coast guard facilities in Aden on October 25. The Houthis acknowledged attacking two military sites in the city, while Turkish media reported that a missile attributed to the group exploded near a government military camp in western Aden.

Yemen's Ministry of Transport also accused the Houthis of striking Aden International Airport with two ballistic missiles. The ministry described the incident as the fourth such attack this month and warned that the strikes posed a threat to the safety of civil aviation.

The ministry said the attacks could have humanitarian and economic repercussions for citizens who depend on the airport. Yemeni authorities also reported strikes on coast guard headquarters and another building, while Houthi forces claimed attacks on al-Nasr camp and Aden's naval military base.

Houthi-run Al Masirah TV said Saudi-led coalition airstrikes killed several civilians in Sanaa and the port city of Hodeidah. The claims could not be independently verified, and Saudi Arabia did not comment on the alleged raids.

Yemen's army said a Houthi missile malfunctioned and struck a family home in Sanaa on October 23, killing three people. The army said similar missile malfunctions had occurred in recent weeks.

Saudi Arabia's civil defense service said on October 24 that Houthi missiles had been launched toward Mecca and Medina. Authorities warned of the fall of shrapnel after air defenses intercepted the missiles.

The Houthis rejected the allegation that they had targeted the two holy cities, calling it a huge lie. The group said its intended targets were three Saudi airports, oil infrastructure and an airbase.

On October 25, the Saudi-led coalition said its air defenses intercepted a missile heading toward Riyadh. The coalition spokesperson stated:

Air defences intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the terrorist Houthi militia toward Riyadh, the coalition's spokesperson said.

Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi condemned the reported attacks, describing them as heinous and saying they demonstrated a blatant disregard for the lives and security of civilians.

Riyadh's international airport announced on October 24 that flights would resume the following day after a two-week closure following Houthi strikes on the capital. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree subsequently warned that the airport remained unsafe and was still a military target.

Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 showed an aircraft departing Riyadh for Jeddah early on October 25. The reported resumption of flights came amid continuing concerns about missile attacks against Saudi infrastructure.

Fighting also intensified around Taiz, where Yemen's government forces and Houthi fighters continued battling for control of key positions. On October 24, Yemeni army spokesperson Colonel Majed Abdullah al-Nazili said government forces had conducted more than 700 targeting operations over 24 hours, claiming to have neutralising 300 Houthi fighters and disabling military vehicles. Al Jazeera could not independently verify those figures.

Al-Nazili said the operations targeted field command centers, Houthi gatherings, weapons depots and supply routes in Taiz. Al Jazeera correspondent Hadeel al-Yamani reported that Houthi forces were attacking from western, eastern and southern fronts, with fighters attempting to advance toward the city from the west. Government troops and Popular Resistance fighters were pushing back attacks from the eastern front.

The conflict began in 2014, when the Houthis seized Sanaa and other provinces, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention in 2015 in support of Yemen's internationally recognized government. The Houthis control much of northern and western Yemen, including Sanaa, while government forces and their allies hold Aden and large areas of the south and east.

Separately, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the outcome of Israel's legislative elections would make no difference to Tehran. The elections were scheduled for October 27, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced a closely contested race.