Houthis Attack Aden Airport with Missiles and Drones as Fighting Escalates

Yemen's Houthi rebels attacked Aden International Airport on Wednesday morning using ballistic missiles and explosive laden drones, DW and Mathrubhumi English reported. According to the Yemeni Ministry of Transport, cited by DW, a missile landed near the runway minutes before a Cairo flight was due to land. The incoming plane was forced to divert to Jeddah, and two grounded aircraft were moved to safety. [1][10][11]

The strikes on Aden follow Houthi claims of attacks targeting King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, as reported by France 24, RTE, and Mathrubhumi English. Al Jazeera reported that attacks were also directed at Saudi Arabia's Jazan and Najran airports, while Yahoo reported that Saudi forces downed a missile near Riyadh. The Houthi group has denied losing territory to government forces despite escalating combat. [2][3][4][6][7][10][11]

Yemeni government forces launched a counter offensive claiming to have pushed the Houthis out of the Bab al Mandab shipping lane and the port city of Mocha, France 24 and RTE reported. As FTMQ News reported earlier, government troops claimed to recapture those key Red Sea locations while Houthis denied losing ground. On 3 September 2026, the Houthis launched an offensive against the Saudi backed Presidential Leadership Council, prompting military clashes across several governorates. [2][3][4][14][17]

Aden International Airport is the primary international gateway for Yemen outside of Houthi control, DW reported. Officially known as Ansar Allah, the Houthis are a Zaydi revivalist Shia Islamist political and paramilitary organization that emerged in the 1990s. Backed by Iran, the group forms part of the Iranian led Axis of Resistance. [1][13]