Houthis struck the presidential palace in Aden on Thursday, killing four and wounding ten.
Aden has served as the interim capital since the fall of Sanaa, and the palace doubles as the headquarters of the internationally recognised government, making it a high‑profile target.
Residents heard explosions at dawn, while a local journalist reported smoke rising from the compound. Police sources on condition of anonymity confirmed that ballistic missiles were aimed squarely at the palace, the nerve centre of the Yemeni administration.
Pro‑Houthi media blasted the strike as a retaliation for Saudi‑led coalition air raids, claiming the attack hit the "headquarters of military operations led by Saudi officers" and nearby weapons depots. The group has been launching missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia in the past two months.
The civil war, dormant since a truce in early 2023, erupted again in July after the ceasefire collapsed. The Houthis seized large swathes of coastline and key cities, including the port of Al‑Mansab and the capital Sanaa, before the coalition’s counter‑offensive stalled.
On the same day, government forces posted on social media that the Houthis fired "several ballistic missiles" at Marib, a strategic oil‑rich region, signalling a broader escalation. A local policeman, who had fled his home in Aden two months ago, watched the missile launches from a rooftop, his voice trembling as he whispered, "We’re still fighting," to a friend.