Houthi missile attack on Yemeni presidential palace kills two, minister says

ByOrla Guerin, Senior International Correspondent, Reporting fromAden and David Gritten.

Key points

• At least 1, 282 individuals have been killed and 5, 890 injured in the fighting in Yemen since 6 August, according to the government's health ministry.
• Yemeni Prime Minister Shaya Zindani condemned the Houthis' attack on Aden, calling it "cowardly" and a "continuation of their criminal behaviour".
• When the Houthis ousted the internationally-recognised administration from Sanaa, yemen has been devastated by a civil war that began in 2014.
• The Houthis' military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, remarked they struck "the Saudi enemy's military operations headquarters in Aden".
• "Iran continues to arm, train and support the Houthi militia in violation of UN Security Council resolutions, " Rayed Krimly remarked to journalists, according to AFP news agency.

ByOrla Guerin, Senior International Correspondent, Reporting fromAden and David Gritten. 15 October 2026, 16: 31 BST. Updated 4 hours ago.

Two security personnel have been killed in a Houthi missile attack targeting the presidential palace in the port city of Aden in southern Yemen. It is the seat of the internationally-recognised administration, office-holders say.

Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani informed the BBC that the prime minister and other ministers were unhurt when five ballistic missiles hit al-Maashiq Palace, but that numerous others were injured.

For context, the Houthis' military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, remarked they struck "the Saudi enemy's military operations headquarters in Aden".

Notably, a coalition led by Saudi Arabia backs the administration and is providing air backing for an offensive by pro-government forces against the Iran-backed Houthis.

He remarked the administration continued to carry out its duties and vowed that it would not weaken the resolve of its forces to continue operations against the Houthis on Yemen's south-western Red Sea coast and other front lines.

After the coalition remarked its forces had intercepted a cruise missile in the Medina region, home to one of Islam's holiest shrines, earlier, the Houthis denied that they had attacked Saudi Arabia on Thursday.

Notably, the Houthis have been launching missiles and drones at airports, oil and gas facilities, and military bases in Saudi Arabia in retaliation for the strikes on the territory that they control in western Yemen, including the capital Sanaa.

On Saturday, a Houthi missile strike killed 13 individuals at Riyadh's international airport. It was the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade.

Saudi Arabia's deputy foreign minister accused Iran of encouraging the Houthis to escalate their conflict with the kingdom.

"We think that the escalation by the Houthis at this latest stage of the conflict is encouraged by Iran, " he continued.

There was no immediate response from Iran's administration. Nevertheless, it has previously denied supplying weapons to the Houthis and stated it only supports them politically.

Iran's foreign minister has additionally stated it is ready to provide "any assistance necessary to facilitate the start of talks" between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.

When the Houthis ousted the internationally-recognised administration from Sanaa, yemen has been devastated by a civil war that began in 2014. After the Saudi-led coalition of Arab states intervened in an attempt to restore the government's rule, the conflict escalated in 2015.

When the Houthis confirmed a "maritime embargo" against Saudi Arabia and began missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports, oil facilities and tankers in the Red Sea, a four-year-old informal ceasefire began to unravel in July.

As well as an air strike on Sanaa airport that they blamed on the kingdom, the Houthis remarked they were retaliating for what they call a Saudi blockade of their territory.

In practice, the conflict escalated in September after the Houthis seized part of Yemen's south-western Red Sea coast near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a chokepoint for global shipping. Their advance contributed to a rise in oil rates after six months of war between the US, Israel and Iran.

Last week, pro-government forces remarked they had regained control of territory overlooking Bab al-Mandab after launching a major counter-offensive with the backing of Saudi air strikes.

In practice, the UN notes another 201, 000 residents have been displaced and that there has been an alarming surge in suspected cholera cases.

Taken together, the developments around houthi missile attack on Yemeni presidential palace kills two, minister says point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.