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Houthis Strike Aden Presidential Palace, Killing Two
Confirmed
In Short: Houthis targeted the al-Maashiq presidential palace in Aden, killing two security personnel.
Houthis launched a missile attack on the al-Maashiq presidential palace in Aden, Yemen, on Thursday, according to reports from Al Jazeera (Qatar) and LBC (United Kingdom). Both outlets reported that the attack killed two security personnel.
Al Jazeera's Yousef Mawry, reporting from the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa, said the attacks on the headquarters of the internationally recognized government were the “first of their kind” by the Houthis. Meanwhile, LBC cited Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani, who stated that the attack was part of the Houthis' policy to target Saudi forces.
Al Jazeera reported that the attack came as fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed forces intensified in Taiz, which is under siege by the Houthis. LBC also reported that five ballistic missiles struck the palace, according to al-Eryani.
Al Jazeera and LBC both noted that the palace is considered the headquarters and seat of power for the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized government. Al Jazeera added that plumes of smoke could be seen rising from the vicinity of the palace.
The Jerusalem Post (Israel) and Arabnews (Saudi Arabia) reported that the Houthis also targeted the central city of Marib, and that pro-government forces pushed Houthi fighters from strategic positions in Taiz. Arabnews cited a Yemeni government official who said the Houthis had suffered heavy losses.
BBC (United Kingdom) reported verified video footage showing smoke above the presidential palace in Aden, and stated that two security personnel were killed. The BBC also noted that a Houthi missile strike on Riyadh's international airport on Saturday killed 13 people, the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade.
Despite varying details, all outlets agreed that the Houthis targeted the al-Maashiq presidential palace in Aden, killing at least two security personnel.
Al Jazeera and LBC reported that the Saudi-led coalition accused the Houthis of obtaining missile parts from regional states. Al Jazeera also noted that the coalition's news conference was intended as a response to military and security failures.
Arabnews cited a Yemeni government official who said the Houthis had suffered heavy losses, including recent recruits and military personnel who had served in administrative roles.
The coalition spokesperson, Turki al-Maliki, said at a press conference that the Houthis had launched 20 attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh this month, killing 17 people and wounding 333 others.
Al Jazeera reported that the Houthis have an image crisis, with the global community viewing their actions as “reprehensible, in particular these targeting civilian infrastructure.”
The Jerusalem Post and Timesofisrael reported that the pro-Iranian fighters targeted the headquarters of military operations led by Saudi officers at the Al-Maashiq Palace in Aden, as well as weapons depots belonging to them.
What's confirmed
- Yemen’s Houthis have hit the vicinity of the al-Maashiq presidential palace in the port city of Aden with multiple missiles.
- Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said at a press conference that the Houthis had launched 20 attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh this month, killing 17 people and wounding 333 others.
What's still developing
- “This is an indication that the escalation is going to intensify between both sides,” Mawry said, adding that fears are now growing inside the country of “an all-out civil war” that could potentially drag in other regional powers besides Saudi Arabia.
- “There’s kind of an image problem there because this is maybe affecting the perception of Saudi deterrence, the fact that missiles are getting through,” he told Al Jazeera.
- “I always said this would be based on financial considerations only, not politics - that’s still my position,” Levine said.
- Saree warned of further attacks on Saudi airports and oil installations, calling them “legitimate targets”.