Houthi missiles hit Aden presidential palace, killing at least two

At least two people died when missiles fired by the Houthis hit Aden’s Maashiq Presidential Palace on October 15, 2026, according to Yemeni government accounts and media reports. Yemen’s government said the prime minister was unharmed in the attack, which the Houthis claimed responsibility for.¹²⁴⁵

Accounts differ on casualties

The government said missiles and drones were used against the palace. Information minister Moammar al-Eryani said five missiles targeted the complex, according to Al Jazeera. The BBC reported that two security personnel were killed and that the prime minister and other ministers escaped injury.¹²³⁵

The reported death toll was not consistent across accounts. The Associated Press and The New York Times reported two deaths. The Guardian also carried a report from government military sources of at least four people killed and 10 wounded, while Al Jazeera reported at least five deaths and 16 injuries near the palace.²³⁴⁵

The Guardian reported at least six explosions near the complex. Witnesses and security officials described blasts around the palace and its security gate to the Associated Press. These accounts placed explosions at several locations rather than identifying a single impact point.²⁵

Houthis identify military target

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the group had struck “the Saudi enemy's military operations headquarters in Aden”. The Guardian reported that three missiles hit a command centre and two hit the coalition headquarters. Those details were reported accounts of the targets, rather than a shared description across the sources.¹²

Al Jazeera described the palace as the base of Yemen’s Saudi-backed, internationally recognised government. According to the BBC, the Saudi-led coalition supports that government and provides air support for pro-government forces fighting the Houthis.¹³

The Yemeni state news agency SABA said President Rashad Mohammed al-Alimi contacted council members and Prime Minister Shaya Zindani to check on their safety. It said he ordered assistance for the families of those killed and injured, further investigations and tighter protection of state institutions.⁶

Fighting and humanitarian pressure

In a separate incident, the Saudi-led coalition reported stopping a cruise missile over the region of Medina. The Houthis denied attacking Saudi Arabia on October 15, according to the BBC and The Guardian. The competing accounts did not establish agreement about responsibility for the reported missile incident.¹²

The BBC reported that fighting in Yemen since August 6 had killed at least 1,282 people and injured 5,890. It also cited the United Nations as saying 201,000 people had been displaced and suspected cholera cases had increased. Al Jazeera reported that aid agencies warned violence in Taiz was placing its healthcare system under growing strain.¹³