Houthi forces appeared to be making slow advances in southwest Yemen on Wednesday, nearing the city of Taiz and launching a missile and explosive at Aden airport. The attack diverted a flight and prompted a safety review. Separately, Houthi forces claimed missile attacks on Saudi Arabian airports, which Saudi authorities initially repelled but later confirmed resulted in casualties.
The ongoing conflict in Yemen, including Houthi advances and attacks on civilian infrastructure like airports, poses significant risks to regional stability and international shipping lanes. Casualties and the diversion of flights highlight the human cost and potential disruption to trade and travel.
Houthi forces appeared to be making slow advances on Wednesday in south-west Yemen, approaching the city of Taiz and firing a missile and an explosive towards the airport in Aden, the chief international hub of the Saudi-backed government. The explosive hit the key airport moments before a plane was due to land. The British ambassador to Yemen, Abda Sharif, said the attack could have endangered thousands of people. It forced a flight from Cairo to be diverted to Jeddah and led to a review about the safety of flights in Aden.
Independent observers noted a danger that the Houthis were on course to capture Yemen’s third city of Taiz, with some signs that forces linked to the Saudi Arabian-backed government were pulling back to secure Aden. Saudi warplanes had been using their air superiority to try to hit any Houthi accumulation of forces near the city, especially to the west.
Houthi forces also claimed that they had fired missiles towards two airports in Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh. Saudi authorities initially said the attacks had been repelled, but then said three people had been killed and 36 people wounded.
The Institute for the Study of War adjusted its previous assessment that Houthi forces on the coastal plain were collapsing, citing evidence indicating that the Houthis have stopped Yemeni government-aligned advances.
Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthis, criticized Al Jazeera's coverage of the Yemen war and urged Yemenis to investigate the Saudi role in the Palestinian cause, stating it did not benefit the Palestinian people. He also accused the Saudi government of conspiring against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Southern Giant forces, a pro-government militia, are leading efforts to recapture the Bab al-Mandab strait and are positioned in the Dhubab district near it.
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