Yemen: Four killed in attack by the Huthis to the Presidential Palace of Aden

Plink four people died and ten were injured today in an attack by the Huthis rebels of Yemen on the Presidential Palace complex in the port city of Aden, in the south of the country, headquarters of the Yemeni government internationally recognized.

Two bodyguards of Yemeni Prime Minister Shaya al-Zindani died in the attack, according to the Ministry of Information which, in a statement, also indicates that this and several of its ministers, who were then in the palace, “are safe”.

One military source claimed that the attack consisted of the launch of at least four ballistic missiles.

In addition, sources indicated that the head of the Presidential Leadership Council of Yemen, Rashad al-Alimi, and other members of the main government body of the Arab country were in the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, and elsewhere in Yemeni territory.

To date, the extent of damage to the Presidential Palace complex is unknown, located in Maasheq district in Aden.

In turn, the Huthis military spokesperson, Yahya Sahara, confirmed in a statement that the rebels attacked the compound, but specified that the action was directed against “the Saudi enemy’s military headquarters in Aden,” in a reference to the Riyadh-led military coalition that has been in Yemen since 2015.

In the note, the spokesman reiterated the objectives of the group: “Attack Saudi troop concentrations wherever they are and consider any military presence of the Saudi enemy as a legitimate target for our forces, regardless of their location.”.

This is the first time the Huthis attack the Presidential Palace of Aden with ballistic missiles since the start of this new phase of war in Yemen in early September when they launched a major offensive to take control of the western coast of the Arab country.

Maashiq's palace is situated on high ground along the Aden promenade, a city that became the seat of the Yemeni Government after the Huthis took over the capital, Sana, in 2014.

The complex consists of several buildings and villas overlooking the Gulf of Aden, one of the most prominent political and historical monuments in the city, now threatened by the Huthis, in its campaign to take control of the coastal areas of Yemen which are in the hands of the pro-governmental forces.

The Yemeni Army, in turn, maintains a counter-offensive that has air coverage from Saudi Arabia, a country that is also the target of Huthis attacks due to its participation in the Yemeni war since 2015, leading a military coalition supporting the internationally recognized government.