Yemen army says Houthis hit Al-Rayyan airport for 4th time

Fourth strike on Hadramout airport

Maj. Gen. Majed al-Nuzaili, the Yemeni army's official spokesman, said early Thursday that the "Houthi terrorist militia targeted Al-Rayyan International Airport in Mukalla for the fourth time," according to September Net, a website linked to the Defense Ministry. In a separate statement, he said that "targeting airports aims to impose a blockade on the Yemeni people," warning that repeated strikes on civilian infrastructure threaten millions of residents in Hadramout and surrounding provinces.

The latest assault on Al-Rayyan — one of Yemen's most important civilian aviation hubs — came within hours of three earlier attacks carried out by drones on Wednesday. The facility had not been hit since military escalation resumed last July, according to an Anadolu correspondent. Al-Rayyan serves millions of people across Hadramout and neighboring regions, making it a critical lifeline for the war-torn country's eastern provinces.

Ballistic missile fired at Aden

The Houthis also targeted Aden International Airport in southern Yemen with a ballistic missile, state-run Saba channel reported, without providing additional details on casualties or damage. Local residents told Anadolu they heard a loud explosion near the airport compound shortly after the strike was announced. The group had not issued any immediate comment on either attack as of Thursday morning.

Escalation amid government offensive

The strikes come as the internationally recognized government presses its ongoing military offensive against Houthi positions in southwestern Yemen, raising fears of wider regional conflagration. Yemen has remained mired in conflict since the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and several other provinces in September 2014, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in March 2015 in support of the government forces. The war has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, leaving the country's infrastructure in ruins and triggering one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.