On Friday, the Houthi movement, an Iran-aligned group currently involved in the Yemeni civil war, officially claimed responsibility for a missile strike on Aden International Airport. The group stated that the missiles were aimed at a weapons depot and a military command headquarters located within the airport complex.

Local authorities provided additional context regarding the timing of the strike. The Aden Security Department reported that the missiles hit the facility while a Yemenia Airways flight, scheduled for Cairo, was on the tarmac preparing for takeoff. While the Houthis characterized the strike as a targeted military operation, the proximity of the attack to a civilian passenger aircraft highlights the ongoing risks to non-combatants in the region. There were no immediate reports regarding casualties or the extent of damage to the airport's infrastructure, nor was there information provided on whether the passenger flight was delayed or diverted as a result of the incident.

The strike represents a continuation of the volatile security situation in Yemen, where the Houthis frequently target areas held by the internationally recognized government. The conflicting narratives—one of a precise military strike and the other of an attack occurring during active commercial operations—underscore the persistent difficulty in verifying the specific objectives of such strikes during the conflict. As of now, the Aden Security Department has not released a formal statement regarding the specific impact on the airport's operational capacity or the safety of the passengers aboard the Yemenia Airways flight.