Iran-aligned Houthi rebels launched two missiles at Aden International Airport, Yemen’s southern port city, early on Wednesday, but no casualties were reported, according to the media office of Aden’s security department. The attack comes amid renewed fighting in the country.
Later on Wednesday, the Saudi-led coalition, a joint military alliance of nine Sunni Arab nations led by Saudi Arabia, announced it had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis north of the Saudi capital of Riyadh. Earlier, the coalition had intercepted and destroyed another Houthi ballistic missile launched towards the southern Saudi city of Khamis Mushait, Saudi state television reported. The coalition stated that the missile threats originated from the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa and the governorates of Saada and Amran.
Intensified Fighting and Rising Casualties
The missile attacks highlight an intensification of the conflict in Yemen, which has been ongoing since 2014. Sources from both sides told AFP on Tuesday (October 6, 2026) that more than 270 people had died in clashes between government forces and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the preceding 24 hours. Government sources reported 115 soldiers killed, while Houthi military sources claimed 160 fighters died, mostly in Saudi airstrikes.
The internationally recognised government of Yemen, supported by Saudi Arabia, has launched a major military campaign called ‘Yemen Dawn’ to retake Houthi-controlled areas. The Yemeni army claimed to have conducted 1,122 military operations, ‘neutralising’ 1,747 Houthi fighters and destroying or disabling 364 military and logistical vehicles by October 5, 2026. Reports also indicate that more than 70 people died in the ongoing conflict in and around Taiz province within the last 24 hours.
Following the coalition’s statement on the missile interceptions, Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV reported that Saudi forces carried out a strike in an area spanning the central governorates of Ibb and Taiz. However, there was no immediate confirmation from the Saudi-led coalition.
Contested Claims on Strategic Areas
Saudi-backed Yemeni forces claimed to have recaptured the strategically important Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the city of Mokha by Tuesday (October 6, 2026). This follows weeks of Houthi advances along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and a counteroffensive by the Saudi-backed government with coalition air support. However, Houthi military sources denied losing Bab al-Mandeb and Mokha, dismissing the claims as Saudi propaganda.
The Saudi-led coalition had previously conducted extensive airstrikes on Monday (October 5, 2026), targeting 324 Houthi strongholds with more than 100 fighter jets.
Background to the Conflict
The conflict in Yemen escalated following the departure of President Ali Abdullah Saleh in 2012, which led to a transitional government under Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi. Widespread discontent over government fuel subsidy cuts in mid-2014 provided an opportunity for the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who seized control of Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in September 2014.
By early 2015, the Houthis had captured the presidential palace, placed President Hadi under house arrest, and Hadi subsequently fled to Saudi Arabia via the southern port city of Aden. Unable to tolerate an Iran-backed armed group seizing power on its southern border, Saudi Arabia formed the Saudi-led coalition in March 2015, launching airstrikes through ‘Operation Decisive Storm’. The primary objective was to dislodge the Houthis from the capital and restore Hadi’s legitimate government. A UN-brokered Stockholm Agreement was reached in 2018 after fierce fighting in the strategic Red Sea port of Hodeidah. More recently, Houthi rebels have conducted over two dozen aerial and drone attacks in the Red Sea since November, following the Israel-Hamas war.
Diplomatic Efforts and Unconfirmed Reports
The Saudi-led coalition has stated it will continue to support the Yemeni government forces until the Houthis are ‘eliminated’. A ‘Mecca Defense Alliance’, comprising Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, has declared that an attack on any member nation will be considered an attack on all. Following an emergency meeting in Riyadh, the alliance decided to immediately deploy a joint military force to protect the Islamic holy sites of Mecca and Medina, as well as Saudi citizens and economic infrastructure.
On the diplomatic front, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi stated that there is no military solution to the conflict and that Iran has not entirely ruled out negotiations. US Vice President JD Vance also indicated that Washington remains open to a settlement but noted that the actual decision-makers in Tehran are unclear. Pakistan has called for dialogue and peaceful means to resolve the conflict in Yemen.
However, several claims remain unconfirmed. Houthi rebels had claimed to have launched ballistic missiles and drones at the oil infrastructure of Aramco, the world’s largest fuel company, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, by October 4, 2026. Saudi Arabian government official spokespersons or security agencies have not officially confirmed this. US Vice President JD Vance stated that a major Houthi attack in Al-Saloo, Taiz, was thwarted by the Yemeni army, with 12 fighters killed by October 7, 2026.
