Yemen’s Houthi rebels reported carrying out an attack on Aden, the southern city serving as the interim seat of Yemen’s Saudi-backed government, following Saudi-led coalition airstrikes that killed at least 16 people in the capital Sanaa and the Red Sea port of Hodeida.

The escalation came on October 24, with the coalition announcing it had intercepted two missiles targeting the western Saudi cities of Taif and Yanbu. Shortly thereafter, explosions were heard in Aden, prompting immediate claims of responsibility from the Houthis.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree stated that their forces struck what they described as Saudi enemy positions at the Al-Nasr camp and a naval base in Aden, facilities reportedly overseen by Saudi forces aiding the Yemeni government. In response, Yemen’s interior ministry indicated that the attack hit the coast guard headquarters and an additional building elsewhere, but did not specifically mention the naval base near the city’s airport.

Earlier in the day, coalition airstrikes targeted locations in Yemen’s capital Sanaa. Reports indicated one strike on a residential house resulted in at least four deaths and several injuries. Another air raid hit a housing area for workers connected to a cement factory in the Sanaa governorate, killing six women and one child while wounding three others.

Separately, a strike on a home in the western port city of Hodeida caused the deaths of five family members, including the head of the household, two children, and two women, according to Houthi sources. The rebels attributed this attack to Saudi coalition forces.

Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence Authority issued brief warnings of possible missile threats to four western regions of the country—Taif, Yanbu, Mecca, and surrounding areas—advising residents to seek immediate shelter. These alerts were rescinded within minutes. The authority also reiterated legal prohibitions against sharing information or imagery related to missile defense operations.

The sequence of attacks and counterattacks underscores the continuing volatility of the Yemeni conflict, with both sides exchanging blows amid ongoing civil strife that has drawn regional involvement, notably from Saudi Arabia and its coalition partners supporting the internationally recognized Yemeni government.