Five people were killed and 16 others injured in a missile and drone attack carried out by Iran-aligned Houthi rebels on Yemen’s presidential Al-Maashiq Palace in the southern port city of Aden on Thursday. The compound serves as the seat of Yemen’s internationally recognized government.

According to Yemen’s Health Ministry, the casualties included both security personnel and civilian employees working within the government complex. Prime Minister Shaya Zindani and other senior officials were reported to be unharmed, with the government’s Ministry of Information confirming their safety after the attack. Witnesses near the palace described hearing loud explosions during the assault.

Yemen’s Prime Minister condemned the attack as “cowardly” and characterized it as a continuation of the Houthis’ “criminal behavior.” He affirmed the government’s commitment to maintaining operations and vowed that the offensive would strengthen, particularly against Houthi forces along Yemen’s southwestern Red Sea coast and other active fronts.

The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, with military spokesperson Yahya Saree stating that their fighters targeted what they described as the Saudi military operations headquarters in Aden. According to the Houthi-run news agency Saba, the palace compound is operated by Saudi officers and includes weapons depots. The group framed the strike as part of ongoing efforts to target “Saudi reinforcements” in the area.

These claims were not independently verified. Yemen’s internationally recognized government and allied sources did not confirm the presence of Saudi military personnel or weapons stockpiles within the complex but emphasized that the attack targeted their administrative center in Aden.

This strike marks the first through missile and drone fire on the Al-Maashiq Palace during the ongoing conflict between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s recognized government. The attack underscores the continuing volatility in Aden, which has increasingly become a focal point of confrontation in the multifaceted Yemeni conflict.