Yemen’s Houthi movement launched an attack on Aden airport on October 28, according to Yemeni government forces, following a warning from the Iran-aligned group urging civilians to evacuate the facility amid escalating hostilities. The southern port city of Aden, which serves as the base for Yemen’s internationally recognized, Saudi-backed government, experienced an explosion near the airport, a critical humanitarian gateway to southern Yemen.
The Yemeni government reported that the attack caused injuries among civilians and inflicted material damage to the airport infrastructure. Following the strike, air traffic was suspended, according to two officials from Yemen’s transport ministry. An aid source noted that some United Nations personnel had departed the airport shortly before the attack, and no casualties were reported among the UN staff.
Earlier on the same day, a flight carrying aid workers safely left Aden airport en route to Amman, according to aid sources. The Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree stated on X (formerly Twitter) that the evacuation notice was issued due to the presence of a Saudi military cargo aircraft at the airport, which the Houthis claimed was delivering weapons.
The Houthis, who control the capital Sanaa and much of northwestern Yemen, have a history of targeting Aden airport. Residents of the city reported additional explosions in other parts of Aden before the evacuation warning was announced.
This latest attack occurs amid an intensification of fighting between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government. The conflict forms part of a broader regional struggle involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. In recent weeks, Houthi forces advanced toward the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, a vital maritime chokepoint near the southern entrance to the Red Sea and opposite the strategic Strait of Hormuz on the Arabian Peninsula.
In response, government forces have launched counteroffensives to reclaim territory along the Red Sea coast, aiming to reduce the Houthis’ influence over the critical shipping route. Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition has intensified its airstrikes against Houthi positions as retaliation for the group’s increasing attacks on Saudi Arabia.
The ongoing violence highlights the fragile humanitarian situation in Yemen, where conflict continues to disrupt essential infrastructure and impede aid delivery to millions of people in need.