At least six explosions struck near the palace used by Yemen’s internationally recognised government in the southern port city of Aden on Thursday, with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels claiming responsibility for a missile strike on a military operations headquarters and a weapons warehouse.
Three witnesses told Reuters they heard loud booms in the vicinity of the palace complex, while two Yemeni government officials said the Houthis had fired several missiles at the site. Yemen’s Prime Minister and ministers who were at the presidential complex in Aden were unharmed.
A security official said at least two explosions were heard on top of the hill near the Maashiq palace, while two others were heard below, near the security gate leading up to the complex.
Media linked to the Houthis quoted a military official as saying the rebels had targeted an operations room and a weapons warehouse inside the government palace.
The Houthis said the strike on what they described as a “Saudi military operations HQ” in Aden was part of their policy of targeting Saudi reinforcements.
Explosions so close to the palace that houses the internationally recognised government are rare. Many leaders in the government live in exile, while those in Aden were safe, a government official said.