Houthi fighters launched five ballistic missiles at al-Maashiq Palace in Aden, Yemen's southern port city, killing two security personnel and injuring multiple others, according to Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani.
The palace serves as the seat of Yemen's internationally-recognised government. Prime Minister Shaya Zindani and other ministers escaped injury. Video footage verified the attack, showing smoke above the facility. Zindani condemned the strike as "cowardly" and vowed the government would maintain operations against Houthi forces on the southwestern Red Sea coast and other fronts.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea characterized the target differently, stating they struck "the Saudi enemy's military operations headquarters in Aden". Saudi Arabia leads a coalition backing the Yemeni government with air support.
The attack follows an escalation in cross-border strikes. On Saturday, a Houthi missile killed 13 people at Riyadh's international airport, described as the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade. The Houthis say they are retaliating for Saudi air strikes on territory they control in western Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, and for what they call a Saudi blockade of their territory.
Saudi Arabia's deputy foreign minister, Rayed Krimly, told reporters that Iran was encouraging the escalation. "Iran continues to arm, train and support the Houthi militia in violation of UN Security Council resolutions," Krimly said. Iran has previously denied supplying weapons to the Houthis, stating it offers only political support. Iran's foreign minister recently offered to facilitate talks between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.
The conflict began in 2014 when Houthis ousted the internationally-recognised government from Sanaa. Saudi-led coalition intervention in 2015 escalated the fighting. An informal four-year ceasefire began unraveling in July when the Houthis announced a "maritime embargo" against Saudi Arabia.
In September, Houthis seized territory near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical global shipping chokepoint. Pro-government forces recently launched a counter-offensive and regained control of overlooking territory with Saudi air support.
The fighting has killed at least 1,282 people and injured 5,890 since 6 August, according to Yemen's health ministry. The UN reports 201,000 displaced persons and a surge in suspected cholera cases.