At least four people were killed and ten others wounded when Houthi forces fired missiles at the Maashiq presidential palace compound in Aden, southern Yemen, on Thursday, according to Agence France-Presse. The compound houses the headquarters of Yemen's internationally recognized government.
Yemen's Ministry of Information said Prime Minister Shae al-Zindani and members of his cabinet were unharmed following the attack. Two government officials had earlier told Reuters that two members of the guard detail were killed, a figure that was later revised upward.
Houthi-affiliated media said the group targeted what it described as a military operations command center inside the palace, along with weapons depots. The Houthi-run Saba news agency claimed the site was run by Saudi officers. These claims could not be independently verified.
Why it matters
The strike on the seat of Yemen's recognized government marks a sharp escalation in a conflict that has drawn in Saudi Arabia, disrupted regional diplomacy and now forced the cancellation of a major international sporting event. The fighting is also compounding a humanitarian crisis, with aid agencies warning they are being cut off from hundreds of thousands of people.
Regional summit and FIFA event postponed
The European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council announced Thursday that their joint summit, scheduled for October 24, 2026, in Riyadh, has been pushed to a date to be determined. GCC Secretary-General Jasem al-Budaiwi attributed the delay to continued Houthi attempts to target Saudi Arabia and civilian sites, the extended suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport, and a desire to ensure the safety of participating delegations. The EU said a new date would be announced later and stressed the strategic importance of its partnership with Gulf states, without giving a reason for the postponement in its own statement.
The security situation also reached into sports. FIFA and the Saudi Esports Federation said Thursday that the FIFAe 2026 finals, set to run in Jeddah from October 16 to 25, have been postponed. The decision followed an assessment of regional security conditions and their effect on logistics.
Coalition claims and Houthi denials
The Saudi-led military coalition said Thursday it intercepted a cruise missile in the Medina area. Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said Houthi attacks on King Khalid International Airport between October 7 and 11 killed 17 people and wounded 333 others, and that the coalition had recorded 20 attacks on the airport since the start of the month. He also said coalition forces destroyed 127 weapons depots in mountainous areas of Yemen in recent days, along with a number of launch platforms, and called on the Houthis to halt attacks on civilians and civilian facilities.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree denied any operation aimed at Medina, calling the Saudi claim a grave falsehood. He renewed a warning to airlines that Saudi airspace and airports are unsafe, with the exception of the airspace over Mecca and Medina. Saree said Saudi Arabia has carried out more than 2,000 airstrikes and missile attacks since resuming what he described as aggression, and said the kingdom has conducted more than 274,000 airstrikes over 12 years. He added that anyone attacking his country should not expect a salute.
Riyadh accused the Houthis last month of attempting to target Mecca with a drone, a claim the group denied.
Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister for Public Diplomacy Raaed Qarmali said Thursday that the Houthis had rejected a Saudi request in recent weeks to meet in Muscat to reduce tensions. Speaking at a video briefing with journalists, he said the last contact took place a few weeks ago, while confirming that direct communication channels with the group remain open.
Fighting in Taiz and warnings on aid access
Yemeni government forces said Thursday they repelled a Houthi attack on Jabal Han, west of Taiz. Colonel Abdulbasit al-Bahr, deputy head of the moral guidance division in the Taiz military axis, said the assault was thwarted without announcing casualty figures. There was no immediate comment from the Houthis, according to Anadolu.
Jabal Han overlooks the al-Dabab road linking Taiz to Lahj province and onward to Aden, giving it importance for securing routes into the city.
The Houthi-run Al-Masirah channel reported what it described as Saudi airstrikes targeting a communications network in the al-Nashma area of al-Mafer district, south of Taiz. Riyadh and the coalition had not commented on those reports as of 08:55 GMT Thursday, according to Anadolu.
On the humanitarian front, the World Food Programme warned Wednesday that intensified fighting is preventing it and its partners from reaching more than 600,000 people who depend on aid in Taiz, including more than 200,000 women and children. The European Union called on the Houthis to lift their siege of Taiz and allow food, water, medicine and fuel to enter. The EU's ambassador to Yemen, Patrick Simonnet, said the bloc is following the situation in the city with deep concern.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said hospitals in Yemen are under growing pressure as war casualties rise and fighting escalates on multiple fronts.
What to watch next: whether the EU-GCC summit and the FIFAe finals are rescheduled, and whether back-channel talks between Riyadh and the Houthis resume.
