Yemen's transport ministry said Houthi missiles and drones hit Aden's airport, with one missile near the runway minutes before a Cairo flight. The IOM said more than 200,000 people have been displaced in the latest round of fighting.
Yemen's Houthis attacked Aden's international airport with ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones on Wednesday, the country's transport ministry told Reuters. One missile landed near the runway minutes before a flight from Cairo was due to land. The airport is the main international gateway for parts of Yemen outside Houthi control.
Al Jazeera, citing the ministry, said the incoming flight was diverted to Jeddah and that the terminal was evacuated and two aircraft were moved from the tarmac. The Houthis said they targeted Saudi military supplies arriving at the Badr camp near the airport. Saudi-backed government forces have been trying to reverse recent Houthi gains, Reuters reported.
Fighting has focused on areas around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a route that has grown more important for energy exports since the US-Iran conflict restricted trade through the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters said. The agency described the clashes as a spillover that has revived a 12-year war.
The International Organization for Migration said on Wednesday that the number of people displaced since the latest round of fighting began has risen to more than 200,000, Reuters reported. Gulf stock markets mostly ended lower on Wednesday as the fighting intensified, a separate Reuters market report said.
Saudi authorities also reported attacks on airports in the kingdom this week. Al Jazeera said the Saudi-led coalition reported intercepting a ballistic missile north of Riyadh. No casualty count for the Aden strike was in the Reuters dispatch used here.