Houthi Missile Hits Aden Military Camp as Yemen Fighting Escalates

A ballistic missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi movement struck a military camp in Aden on Wednesday, 21 October, the third reported attack on the southern port city within a week, as fighting between the group and Yemen’s internationally recognised government escalates. The Houthi Aden missile strike targeted the Saudi-led coalition’s military operations room at Badr Camp, according to spokesman Yahya Saree, who described the hit as precise and direct.

FAKTA: Key Facts

• What happened: A ballistic missile struck Badr Camp in Aden on Wednesday morning, 21 October 2026. The Houthis say it hit the Saudi-led coalition’s military operations room.
• Where: Aden, southern Yemen. Smoke was reported rising near Aden International Airport.
• Pattern: It was the third reported attack on Aden in a week, after a missile strike on the Al-Maashiq presidential compound on 20 October.
• Shabwa toll: The death toll from the 19 October missile attack on a training camp in Shabwa province has risen to 73, with 14 people still missing and more than 200 injured.
• Regional response: The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted four drones launched towards Saudi Arabia.

Houthi Aden Missile Strike Is Third on City in a Week

A powerful explosion was heard in Aden on Wednesday morning, with smoke reported rising near the airport. Al Jazeera’s correspondent reported that the Houthis had targeted the airport area with a ballistic missile. The coalition and the government had not immediately confirmed damage or casualties.

The strike followed a missile attack a day earlier, on 20 October, against the Al-Maashiq presidential compound. The Houthis said it hit command centres inside the compound, used by government forces and the Saudi-led coalition.

The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted four drones launched towards Saudi Arabia, over the Medina and Eastern regions, according to spokesman Turki al-Maliki. The Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of killing eight fishermen off Taiz governorate.

Shabwa Camp Toll Rises to 73

The Aden attacks come days after the deadliest single strike of the recent escalation. On Monday, 19 October, three ballistic missiles hit a training centre for security and police personnel in Shabwa province during a training course. Provincial authorities first reported more than 50 dead, but the toll has since risen to 73, with 14 still missing and more than 200 injured, according to the provincial media office and Governor Awad al-Wazir.

The Houthi spokesman claimed the camp was run by Saudi forces; Shabwa officials said those hit were new local recruits, and Saudi authorities did not immediately comment.

A Fragile Truce Collapses as Fighting Spreads

Fighting has grown more intense since September, when the Houthis advanced towards territory near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. A fragile truce that had limited the fighting has collapsed, and Saudi airstrikes against Houthi positions have continued in support of government forces. Aid agencies warn that conditions in Yemen, already one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, are deteriorating rapidly. More international news is available on Watan News.