LONDON: Two missiles fired by the Iran-backed Houthi militia struck the airport in Yemen’s southern port city of Aden on Friday night, as a passenger plane prepared to take off, the country’s information minister said. No casualties were reported.
The missiles landed about 500 meters from the Yemenia Airways aircraft and about 100 meters from the midpoint of the runway, Information Minister Moammar Al-Eryani said in a post on X.
The plane, operating as Flight IY 612, was bound for Cairo. Al-Eryani said the passengers and crew were safe.
The strike came a day after an attack by the Houthis on a palace complex in Aden killed two security personnel, according to Yemeni officials. The city has served as the seat of Yemen’s internationally recognized government since 2015.
Al-Eryani condemned Friday’s attack as a threat to passengers, flight crews and civilian aviation, saying it could have killed dozens of travelers.
“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,” he said.
“Targeting a civilian airport that handles dozens of flights daily … is neither a military achievement nor a victory to boast of.”
He said targeting the airport threatened Yemenis’ ability to travel for medical treatment and education.
Al-Eryani also thanked the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen for its backing and pledged that the government would continue working to protect civilians and vital facilities, counter the Houthis and restore state authority.