Aden airport attacked by Houthi forces following evacuation alert

ADEN/DUBAI, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Yemen's Houthis attacked Aden airport on Wednesday, government officials said, after the Iran-aligned group warned people to evacuate the facility as fighting escalated in the impoverished country caught in the wider Middle East conflict. Residents in the southern port city, where the internationally recognised, Saudi-backed government is based, said they heard an explosion near the airport, a humanitarian lifeline and the main gateway to southern Yemen.

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Oct 29, 2026, 01:46 UTC

Exterior view of an airport terminal in southern Yemen under harsh daylight, showing security barriers and halted operations. — REAL NEWS HUB

Yemen's Houthi movement targeted the airport in the southern port city of Aden on Wednesday, causing civilian injuries and physical damage shortly after issuing an evacuation alert, according to Yemeni government forces.

Flight operations at the airport were suspended following the blast, transport ministry officials said. Local inhabitants reported hearing a loud blast in the vicinity of the site, which serves as the primary travel hub for southern Yemen and a critical transit route for humanitarian aid.

The attack occurred after Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree posted on social media platform X urging civilians to leave the premises. Saree claimed the alert was prompted by the arrival of a Saudi military transport plane allegedly carrying arms. Saudi authorities did not immediately respond to the allegations.

Humanitarian agencies confirmed that their personnel avoided injury during the incident. An aid source noted that United Nations personnel vacated the terminal prior to the strike. Additionally, an aid flight bound for Amman departed safely earlier in the morning, while the International Organization for Migration confirmed that all its staff moving through the city were safe and accounted for.

Aden serves as the headquarters for Yemen's internationally recognized government, which is backed by a Saudi-led coalition. The airport has been repeatedly targeted during the country's decade-long war, which began after the Iran-aligned Houthis took control of the capital, Sanaa, and surrounding northern areas in 2014.

The strike follows a sharp escalation in clashes across Yemen, unraveling a United Nations-negotiated ceasefire established in 2022. Recent weeks have seen intensified skirmishes, with Houthi fighters pushing toward the Bab el-Mandeb shipping channel and pro-government units attempting to regain coastal positions along the Red Sea. In response to Houthi operations against Saudi territory, coalition forces have increased their aerial bombardment campaign.

Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) emphasized the strategic necessity of the facility earlier in the week, following an incident where its own plane was preparing for departure when a nearby projectile forced relief staff to seek shelter. The organization stressed that maintaining secure passage through Aden airport is vital for bringing healthcare personnel, emergency relief, and medicine into southern Yemen.

Meanwhile, Houthi-operated broadcaster Al Masirah reported that 14 people were killed and 15 wounded in an alleged Saudi strike in northern Yemen's Jawf province. Humanitarian organizations continue to caution that the reignited combat will severely worsen living conditions for millions of civilians enduring one of the globe's most acute humanitarian disasters.

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