Houthi missile attack on Aden presidential palace kills two guards

The Houthis of Yemen, allies of the Islamic Republic, targeted the Maashiq presidential palace complex in Aden, the seat of Yemen's internationally recognised government, with missiles and drones on Thursday 15 October 2026. It is the first attack on Aden since the war between the Houthis and government forces resumed last month, and the first attack on the palace in the new round of fighting.

Mammar al-Eryani, Yemen's information minister, said the palace was hit by five missiles and two guards were killed. According to him, the prime minister and cabinet members were unharmed. Al-Eryani called the attack a terrorist act. Reports of the death toll differ: two government officials reported the deaths of two guards, but three government military sources said at least four people were killed and 10 wounded.

The Houthi account and the Yemeni government's response

Yahya Saree, the Houthi military spokesman, claimed the target of the attack was a Saudi Arabian "military operations headquarters" in the palace, and that the attack was carried out under the group's declared policy of targeting concentrations of Saudi forces "wherever they are". The Saba news agency, under Houthi control, also claimed there were weapons depots at the site; this claim has not been independently confirmed.

In a statement, Yemen's cabinet said the Houthis are pursuing a destructive agenda backed by Tehran, and stressed that Aden will remain the centre of government institutions' activity. Aden has been the seat of Yemen's government since 2014, when the Houthis seized Sanaa.

The Houthis' wider war with Saudi Arabia

Turki al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, said the same day that the Houthis had tried to attack dozens of targets inside Saudi territory. According to him, 20 attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh this month left 17 dead and 333 wounded, and an attack on Abha airport left three dead and 28 wounded. Al-Maliki said the Houthis had obtained ballistic missiles, drones and explosive speedboats with the help of "regional actors". The coalition also reported the destruction of 127 weapons depots and launch pads in Yemen's mountains.

DIAR had earlier reported on 17 dead in 20 Houthi attacks on Riyadh airport and Saudi Arabia's accusation against the Islamic Republic and the interception of a cruise missile over Medina. The Islamic Republic has for years supplied the Houthis with weapons, money and training, and, despite the UN arms embargo, officially denies this assistance.

The attack on Maashiq Palace brought the war of the Houthis, allies of the Islamic Republic, for the first time into the heart of the seat of Yemen's government in Aden.