Aden: Houthi forces targeted Aden International Airport with missiles and drones on Wednesday, forcing a passenger flight from Cairo to divert to Saudi Arabia as fighting between the group and forces supporting Yemen's internationally recognised government intensified.
Yemen's Transport Ministry said two ballistic missiles and several drones carrying explosives were used in the attack. One missile landed near the airport runway minutes before a Yemenia Airways flight from Cairo was due to land.
The ministry identified the aircraft as Yemenia flight 603, whichwas diverted to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. Two other aircraft on the ground were also moved away from the area over fears of further strikes.
No casualties were immediately reported in the Aden airport attack.
Aden is the main international gateway for areas of Yemen controlled by the internationally recognised government. The attack raised concerns over the safety of civilian air travel as fighting intensified across several parts of the country.
The attack came as forces supporting Yemen's internationally recognised government, backed by Saudi Arabia, continued a counteroffensive against the Houthis along Yemen's western coast.
Government forces have reported making gains around the strategically important Bab el Mandeb Strait and the port city of Mocha. The Houthis have disputed some of the battlefield claims, and the exact situation in several contested areas remains difficult to verify independently.
The Bab el Mandeb Strait is a major international shipping route connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean. Fighting around the strait has raised concerns about shipping and regional security.
The latest fighting follows significant territorial gains by the Houthis along Yemen's Red Sea coast in recent weeks. Government forces have since launched an operation to recover some of the territory.
The escalation has also extended to Saudi Arabia. The Saudi led coalition said it intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile launched towards Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree separately claimed that the group had targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with drones. He also claimed attacks against Abha International Airport and an airbase in Khamis Mushait.
Those claims had not been independently confirmed at the time of the latest reports. Saudi authorities had also not immediately confirmed the alleged attacks on Riyadh and Abha airports.
Earlier, Saudi Arabia said attacks had damaged airports in Jizan and Najran, injuring three people.
The latest escalation has also worsened Yemen's humanitarian crisis, with thousands of people reported killed or injured and large numbers displaced in recent weeks.
The conflict has created new risks for civilians as fighting spreads across territory near important transport and trade routes. The developments around Bab el Mandeb are also being closely watched because of the strait's importance to international shipping.
For now, the situation remains fluid. Government forces and the Houthis continue to give competing accounts of developments on the battlefield, while reports of missile and drone attacks are emerging from several locations.
The Aden attack marked a significant escalation because a missile landed near a civilian runway shortly before a passenger aircraft from Cairo was due to land. The flight was diverted to Jeddah, while no casualties were immediately reported.