Two missiles fired by the Houthi movement struck the airport in Yemen’s southern port city of Aden on Friday night. A passenger plane was preparing to take off at the time of the impact, though no casualties were reported.
Information Minister Moammar Al-Eryani stated that the missiles landed about 500 metres from the Yemenia Airways aircraft operating flight IY612 bound for Cairo.
The projectiles also landed approximately 100 metres from the midpoint of the runway. Al-Eryani shared the details in a message posted on the social media platform X.
The airport strike occurred a day after an attack by the Houthis on a presidential palace complex in Aden. Health ministry figures showed that at least five people were killed and 16 were injured in that earlier assault.
Aden has served as the seat of Yemen’s internationally recognised government since 2015. The civil war in the country began shortly before the government relocated to the southern port city.
Al-Eryani denounced Friday’s assault as a direct threat to passengers, flight crews and civilian aviation, saying that dozens of innocent travellers could have died.
“What happened was not merely an attack on a civilian airport, but a direct threat to the lives of passengers and flight crews and to the safety of air navigation, as well as a grave violation of international laws and norms,” the minister said.
He added that targeting a civilian facility handling dozens of daily flights was not a military achievement. The airport serves as a lifeline for patients seeking medical treatment, students, and expatriates.
Al-Eryani thanked the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen, led by Saudi Arabia, for its backing. He pledged that the government would continue working to protect citizens, counter the Houthis, and restore state authority.
