Houthi missile strike on Yemen's presidential palace: Yemen's Houthi rebels fired five missiles at the Al-Maashiq presidential palace complex in Aden on Thursday, October 15, 2026 — the first strike on the compound since Yemen's civil war reignited in July. At least five people were killed and 16 wounded, according to Yemeni officials, while the prime minister and his cabinet, who were inside the palace, were unharmed.
What Happened in Aden
Multiple explosions rocked the hilltop Al-Maashiq palace compound around midday Thursday, with smoke seen rising from the complex, witnesses and officials said. Yemen's Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani said the Houthis fired five missiles at the site; one Yemeni minister told AFP three hit a Yemeni forces command center and two hit the Saudi-led coalition's headquarters. Some outlets also reported drones were involved.
The palace is the seat of Yemen's internationally recognized government, which made Aden its de facto capital after the Houthis seized Sanaa in 2014.
The Two Sides' Claims
Yemen's government called it an attack on civilians and the state. Health Minister Qasim Mohammed Buhaibeh said at least five people were killed and 16 injured, including security personnel, civilian employees, and two of Prime Minister Shaya al-Zindani's bodyguards. The prime minister condemned the strike on X as "cowardly," calling it a continuation of the Houthis' "criminal pattern" of targeting civilians and civilian facilities.
The Houthis said the real target was a Saudi military operations headquarters inside the complex, along with weapons depots. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree described it as part of a declared policy of "targeting Saudi military build-ups wherever they are," calling any Saudi military presence a "legitimate target." The Houthi-run Saba news agency repeated the claim. Independent verification of the Saudi-HQ claim was not available, according to Reuters and CNN.
A Wider Escalation
The Aden strike is part of a sharp escalation across the region. Yemen's civil war reignited in July 2026 after a years-long truce collapsed, and the Houthis launched a rapid offensive in September, seizing territory along the Red Sea coast.
Saudi-led coalition spokesman Maj-Gen Turki al-Malki said this week that Houthi attacks on coalition targets had killed 19 people and injured more than 300 in October alone, including repeated attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia blamed Iran for arming the Houthis. Pakistan condemned the attacks at a UN Security Council debate, while U.S. President Donald Trump said the Houthis are "behaving very badly" and hinted at asking Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to help Saudi Arabia.
What Comes Next
The Houthis have vowed more strikes on Saudi military positions; the Saudi-led coalition has shown no sign of backing down. With the truce dead and both sides trading missiles and airstrikes, analysts warn the war — already one of the world's worst humanitarian crises — is entering its most dangerous phase in years.
Watch: Houthis strike Yemen's presidential palace in Aden — major escalation — analysis of the October 15 missile attack, the casualties, and the Houthi claims about the Saudi military headquarters.
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Hitman (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
Sources: Al Jazeera, CNN, The Hindu (AP), Channel News Asia (AFP).