Aden – Aden has been directly drawn into the cycle of military escalation in Yemen after the Houthis targeted the Al-Maashiq presidential palace with five missiles. This marks the second major attack on the city in eight days, following the bombing of its international airport with ballistic missiles and drones.
This shift towards Aden coincides with the Houthis' escalation on the Taiz, Marib, and western coast fronts, and an unprecedented wave of attacks in recent weeks on airports, oil facilities, and civilian infrastructure inside Saudi Arabia. This moves the confrontation from the Yemeni front lines to the headquarters of the internationally recognized government and the heart of its main backer, Saudi Arabia.
Five Missiles on Al-Maashiq
The Yemeni government stated that the attack on the Al-Maashiq complex in Aden resulted in the death of five people and injuries to 16 others, including guards and civilian employees. Prime Minister Shayaa al-Zindani and members of the government present in the complex escaped unharmed.
AFP quoted a Yemeni minister, who requested anonymity, as saying that three missiles struck a headquarters of the Saudi-backed "Homeland Shield" forces, while two missiles targeted a Saudi-led forces headquarters inside the presidential compound.
The official indicated that there were Yemeni and Saudi casualties, without specifying the number. Later, Yemeni Health Minister Qassem Bahibah stated in an official toll that the number of victims had reached five dead and 16 wounded.
Witnesses in Aden reported hearing a series of loud explosions, and plumes of smoke were seen rising from the Maashiq area, which houses the Yemeni government headquarters and security and military installations.
The Yemeni prime minister described the attack as a continuation of the Houthis' targeting of civilian sites, while the government stated that the prime minister and ministers continued their work unharmed.
The Houthis, through their military spokesman Yahya Saree, announced that the group had shelled what they described as the "Saudi military operations headquarters in Aden."
He added that the Houthis consider any Saudi military presence a legitimate target, while media outlets affiliated with the group claimed the attack targeted a headquarters run by Saudi officers and weapons depots inside Al-Maashiq. These claims could not be independently verified.
The Al-Maashiq attack was not the first.
On October 7, the Houthis targeted Aden International Airport with ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones. The Yemeni Ministry of Transport stated that one of the missiles landed near the runway minutes before a flight arriving from Cairo was due to land.
The airport is the main international gateway to areas controlled by the Yemeni government, and the attack came as government forces, backed by Saudi air power, were launching a counter-offensive to retake areas they had lost on the western coast and near Bab al-Mandab.
Thus, within eight days, the targeting shifted from Aden's airport to the government headquarters and its military and security leadership.
These attacks gain significance in light of the developments on the ground north and west of Aden. The United Nations reported that the Houthis had advanced in recent weeks along the Red Sea coast, reaching areas in Mocha and the vicinity of Bab al-Mandab. Fighting also spread to the highlands west and south of Taiz and to Lahj governorate, before the government launched a counter-offensive to retake areas around the strait.
On the same day that the presidential palace in Maashiq was bombed, the "Homeland Shield" and "Giants" forces reported facing a Houthi attack in the Dhubab area on the western coast, while the group launched several ballistic missiles toward Marib.
Why Aden now?
The advance of fighting toward Taiz, Lahj, and Bab al-Mandab has brought Aden closer to the theater of operations than it was during the previous years of relative calm.
Aden is not only the interim capital of the government, but also the center of political decision-making, a rear base for government forces, and a headquarters for military commanders and formations receiving Saudi support. Furthermore, it serves as a key air and sea gateway to areas not under Houthi control.
The UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, says the country has returned to "full-scale war," with fighting spreading across multiple fronts from the western coast, Taiz, and Lahj to Marib, al-Jawf, and Hajjah.
Former Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik, currently an advisor to the head of the Presidential Leadership Council, told The Guardian that losing Taiz would open the way to Bab al-Mandab and Aden. He added that government intelligence indicates Houthi attempts to advance into areas in southern Yemen, including Lahj, and ultimately reach Aden.
Yahya Saree's statements regarding al-Maashiq add another dimension to this shift, as the Houthis explicitly link the targeted sites in Aden to the Saudi military role and the forces fighting them on the front lines.
In this sense, the bombing targets the rear command center of the government campaign, coinciding with attacks on government forces on the ground. From Aden to Riyadh
The pressure on Aden is inextricably linked to the escalation of violence within Saudi Arabia. According to the Saudi Ministry of Defense, the Houthis have targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh 20 times since the beginning of October. These attacks have resulted in 17 deaths and 333 injuries. Attacks on Abha Airport have also killed 3 people and injured 28 others.
The strikes have also targeted Aramco facilities, oil sites, airports, and military bases. The Houthis have warned airlines against using Saudi airports, with the exception of the airspace over Mecca and Medina, according to their statement.
Reuters, citing Saudi and regional sources and analysts, reported that the Houthis are seeking, through these attacks, to raise the cost of Saudi intervention in Yemen and pressure Riyadh to halt military operations and abandon its support for the government offensive.
Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Salam told Reuters that the group's demands include a halt to Saudi operations, the lifting of restrictions on ports and airports, and the payment of state employee salaries. He denied that the attacks were carried out at the behest of Iran.