Key takeaways
- Yemen's government says missiles hit the al-Maashiq palace in Aden on 15 October and that Prime Minister al-Zindani was unharmed.
- Reported death tolls differ, from at least two to at least four killed, and the figures were still moving.
- Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed the targets were the headquarters of military operations led by Saudi officers at the Al-Maashiq Palace in Aden, along with weapons depots belonging to them, a claim that has not been independently verified.
Yemen's internationally recognised government said Houthi ballistic missiles struck the al-Maashiq presidential palace complex in Aden on Thursday, 15 October 2026. Yemen's Ministry of Information said at least two members of the Prime Minister's security detail were killed. It also said Prime Minister Shaya al-Zindani and all cabinet members escaped unharmed. Crisis.Zone has not independently verified these statements.
Casualty figures differ between sources. They were still moving at the time of writing. Yemen's Information Ministry, cited by Al Jazeera at 15:10 GMT and by CNN, said at least two members of the prime minister's security detail were killed. Yemeni government military sources, cited by AFP, reported at least four killed and 10 wounded. Reuters reported that the attack killed two security guards and two government officials. The toll may still change.
What each side says
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, military spokesperson for the Houthis (Ansar Allah, the Iran-aligned armed movement), and Houthi-affiliated media claimed the target was the headquarters of military operations, led by Saudi officers, at the Al-Maashiq Palace in Aden, along with weapons depots belonging to them inside the complex. They said any Saudi military presence in Yemen is a legitimate target. They also repeated a warning that Saudi airspace and airports are unsafe for commercial airlines, excepting airspace over Mecca and Medina. There was no independent confirmation that Saudi officers were present.
Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani said on social media at 15:00 GMT that five missiles targeted the palace. Witnesses and local sources reported four distinct explosions. Government forces also said the Houthis fired several ballistic missiles at residential districts and installations in Marib.
Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki said on Thursday that Houthi strikes on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport between 7 and 11 October killed at least 17 people and injured 333. He said the coalition has targeted Houthi launchpads and arms depots in Saada, Sanaa and Hodeidah. Fighting in southern Yemen and Red Sea shipping tensions form the wider backdrop.
Observers are reading: our assessment of the open questions around the Aden strike, including the casualty toll, the Saudi claim, the coalition response and aviation risk.
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Aden strike leaves toll and Saudi role unresolved
As of Thursday, the government's account of the attack, the Houthi claim of a Saudi target and the competing casualty counts remain unreconciled. Crisis.Zone's assessment, limited to Thursday's information, is that the Aden strike, the Marib launches and the aviation warning point to continued escalation. The extent of the damage has not been established.
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