Aden (South24 Center)

Yemen’s Transport Ministry and Aden police said two ballistic missiles struck the grounds of Aden International Airport on Friday evening, as a Yemenia Airways aircraft was preparing to take off for Cairo and another plane from the Egyptian capital was approaching.

The Transport Ministry said the first missile landed near the western gate, toward the runway, while the second fell northwest of the airport. Aden police said the missiles landed inside the airport perimeter. The ministry described the incident as the second attack on the airport in 10 days.

Yemenia flight IYE 612 was preparing to depart for Cairo before it was evacuated, while a Fly Aden aircraft, flight QFF101, was in the air en route from Cairo, the ministry said. Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani was quoted as saying that the missiles fell about 500 metres from the Yemenia aircraft.

Aden police said initial information indicated that there were no casualties and that the relevant authorities were continuing their procedures. It warned that repeated incidents at the airport threatened civilian facilities, air traffic, passengers and airport workers, and urged residents and media to follow security instructions and rely on official sources for information.

The Transport Ministry said the attack had put passengers and flight crews at risk and could disrupt civil aviation. It called on the United Nations, international organisations and the International Civil Aviation Organization to condemn attacks on civilian airports and work to protect air traffic. Aden police said the airport was vital for Yemenis, including patients and people in humanitarian need who rely on it to travel and seek treatment abroad.

The attack follows a strike on Aden airport on October 7 involving two ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones, according to Yemen’s Foreign Ministry. One missile landed near the runway minutes before Yemenia flight 603, arriving from Cairo, was due to land, the ministry said. Passengers waiting for a flight to Jeddah and airport workers were also at the airport. No casualties were reported in that attack.

The airport strike came a day after missiles and drones hit near Maashiq Palace, the seat of Yemen’s internationally recognised government in Aden. Health Minister Qasim Buhaibeh said five people were killed and 16 wounded, including guards and civilian employees. The Information Ministry said Prime Minister Shaya al-Zindani and members of the government were safe.

The Houthis said they had targeted what they described as a Saudi military operations headquarters in Aden. The Houthi-run Saba news agency said the site housed Saudi officers and weapons depots.

Yemen’s Human Rights Ministry referred to an earlier attack on Aden airport on December 30, 2020, when the newly formed government arrived in the city. The attack left dozens dead or wounded and caused extensive damage to the airport and its facilities, the ministry said.