Cairo, 7 October, 2026 (Nosheen): Houthi rebels attacked the international airport in the southern Yemeni city of Aden with ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones early Wednesday, Yemen’s Transport Ministry said, as fighting intensified between the Iran-aligned group and Saudi-backed government forces. The Saudi-led coalition, which is supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government, said it intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile north of the Saudi capital Riyadh. The escalation followed a counter-offensive by Yemeni government forces, backed by Saudi-led coalition air support, to retake strategic territory along the Red Sea coast near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the city of Mocha. Yemen’s government said its forces had pushed the Houthis out of areas seized by the group last month, reviving a conflict that has contributed to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. According to the Transport Ministry, one missile landed near the runway at Aden International Airport shortly before a flight from Cairo was scheduled to land. Authorities cancelled the landing and diverted the aircraft to Jeddah, while two aircraft on the runway were moved away from the area amid fears of further attacks. The Houthis did not immediately comment on the Aden airport attack. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree also claimed that the group targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with several drones, although Saudi authorities did not immediately confirm the claim. The Saudi-led coalition further said it intercepted a Houthi ballistic missile launched toward Khamis Mushait, while Saree claimed attacks on Abha International Airport and an airbase in Khamis Mushait using ballistic missiles and drones. The latest escalation comes after years of intermittent conflict following the Houthis’ seizure of Sanaa in 2014 and a UN-brokered truce in 2022 that largely halted heavy fighting but failed to produce a lasting political settlement.