Five missiles struck Al-Ma'ashiq Palace in Aden's Crater district on Thursday, 15 October 2026, targeting the seat of Yemen's internationally recognised government, which is backed by the Saudi-led coalition. A local security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, attributed the attack to the Houthi group, though casualties and the extent of damage remain unclear.

What Happened on the Ground

Loud explosions rocked the southern port city of Aden as smoke rose from the vicinity of the palace, according to reporters on the ground. Residents in nearby areas said the blasts were powerful enough to shake their homes. The palace complex houses Yemen's coalition-backed government, making it a high-value symbolic and political target.

Houthis Renew Airline Warning Over Saudi Airspace

Separately, on the same day, the Houthi group renewed its warning to international airlines that Saudi airspace and airports were 'unsafe.' In a statement posted on social media platform X, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the warning covered all Saudi airspace and airports, explicitly exempting the airspace over the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

In an earlier, separate statement on Thursday, Saree rejected a Saudi allegation that the Houthis had directed an attack toward Medina, saying no such strike had been carried out.

Coalition Issues Evacuation Warning, Intercepts Drones

The developments follow a series of escalatory moves earlier in the week. On Tuesday, the Saudi-led coalition announced it would issue a warning for civilians to evacuate a site in the Houthi-held Yemeni capital Sanaa ahead of what it described as a 'special operation.' Coalition spokesman Turki Al-Maliki, in a post on social media platform X, said the warning would be issued shortly, without disclosing the target or the nature of the planned operation.

Also on Tuesday, the coalition reported intercepting and destroying three drones north of the Saudi capital Riyadh, underscoring the broadening geographic reach of the conflict.

A Conflict Stretching Back to 2014

Yemen has been engulfed in civil war since late 2014, when the Houthi movement seized the capital Sanaa and large swathes of northern Yemen, forcing the internationally recognised government to relocate to Aden. The Saudi-led coalition entered the conflict in 2015 in support of the government. Over a decade on, neither side has achieved a decisive military outcome, and the humanitarian toll has been described by international organisations as one of the world's worst ongoing crises.

The latest wave of strikes and counter-warnings signals a fresh spike in hostilities, with both sides exchanging military threats and attacks in rapid succession over recent days. How the coalition responds to Thursday's palace strike will be closely watched.