The Yemeni government says one of the missiles hit the runway at Aden airport minutes before a flight from Cairo was to land. Published October 7, 20267 October 2026 Yemen’s internationally recognized government accused the Houthis of firing ballistic missiles and drones at the main international airport under their control, while Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted another missile north of its capital, Riyadh. In a statement Wednesday, the Transportation Ministry said the Houthis targeted the runway and passenger terminal at the airport with at least two ballistic missiles and several drones. Recommended stories list of 3 itemsend of list “One of the missiles landed near the runway minutes before the Yemeni flight from Cairo landed,” it said. “We canceled the landing of the incoming flight from Cairo. [in Egypt] and diverted his route towards Jeddah [in Saudi Arabia] to protect passengers.” The ministry also said it evacuated the airport terminal and removed two planes from the runway during the attacks. It added: “This incident could easily have turned a civilian flight into a horrific humanitarian disaster, claiming the lives of dozens of innocent people in an instant.” Aden airport is the main international gateway to parts of Yemen outside Houthi control in the city that has been the seat of government since the seizure of the capital, Sanaa, by the Iran-backed group in 2014. The Houthis said in a statement that they attacked “Saudi military supplies” arriving at the Badr camp, near the airport, with ballistic missiles. Saudi Arabia supports the Yemeni government. Separately, the Saudi-led military coalition fighting in Yemen said it intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis, north of Riyadh, and vowed to destroy it. Wednesday night that they had attacked Saudi international airports in Riyadh and Abha. The intensification of fighting in Yemen comes amid rising regional tensions sparked by the war between the United States and Israel against Iran. Saudi-backed government forces have launched a counteroffensive against the Houthis to retake the Red Sea port of Mocha and areas around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Taiz.Al Jazeera’s Mawry, reporting from Sanaa, described “all-out battles to seize the territory, highlands and mountains east of Bab al-Mandeb.” “It is a battle to seize the strategic western part of Taiz, and whoever controls the wider neighborhood will bypass the region and have dominant military control,” he said. the Red Sea coast, the Houthis must first push off the mountains east of Mocha.” Pakistan and Turkiye agreed on Monday to activate “deterrence measures” under their mutual defense pact with Saudi Arabia and quickly deploy forces to the Gulf kingdom to counter Houthi attacks.
