ADEN, October 07, 2026 (DAILYNWZ) — Iran-aligned Houthi forces attacked Aden International Airport with ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones on Wednesday, disrupting air traffic as fighting intensified across several fronts in Yemen.
One missile landed near the airport runway minutes before a flight from Cairo was due to arrive, forcing authorities to cancel the landing and divert the aircraft to Jeddah, Yemen’s Transport Ministry said. Two planes on the runway were also moved away from the area over fears of further strikes. There was no immediate comment from the Houthis.
Aden airport is the main international gateway for parts of Yemen outside Houthi control, making the attack a direct disruption to civilian air links in areas held by the internationally recognised government.
The escalation extended beyond Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition backing the government said it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile north of the Saudi capital, Riyadh. The coalition said it was tracking the launch platform in Houthi-controlled Sanaa and would destroy it, but gave no details of casualties or damage.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group had targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with several drones. Saudi authorities did not immediately confirm an attack on the airport.
The coalition also said earlier on Wednesday that it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile launched toward Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia, Saudi state television reported.
Saree separately said the Houthis had attacked Abha International Airport and an airbase in Khamis Mushait with ballistic missiles and drones. It was not immediately clear whether that claim referred to the missile intercepted by the coalition. Saudi authorities did not immediately confirm an attack on Abha airport.
The strikes came as Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces launched a counteroffensive against the Houthis, who have made territorial gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coast in recent weeks.
Government forces, supported by Saudi-led coalition airpower, launched a rapid operation this week to retake areas around the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the city of Mocha, pushing Houthi fighters out of territory seized last month.
The renewed fighting raises the risk of further attacks across Yemen and into Saudi Arabia as both sides seek to consolidate their positions around one of the region’s most strategically important maritime corridors.