Houthis Push Toward Taiz and Strike Aden Airport as Fighting Widens
Houthi forces pushed slowly toward Taiz in southwest Yemen on October 7, 2026. The Guardian
On the same day, they fired missiles and explosives at the airport in Aden, the main international airport held by the Saudi-backed government. The Guardian
The attack used ballistic missiles, long-range weapons that fly high and fast, and drones carrying explosives. Reuters Yemen's government said one missile hit the runway minutes before a flight from Cairo was due to land. Al Jazeera
That plane was Yemenia Airways Flight 603 from Cairo to Aden. It diverted to Jeddah after the missile landed near the runway. Airways Magazine Two other aircraft on the runway were moved away from danger. Reuters
Safety of flights at Aden was put under review. British ambassador to Yemen Abda Sharif said the attack could have endangered thousands of people. Aden has few other airports under government control for international flights.
Independent observers warned the Houthis were on course to capture Taiz, Yemen's third city. Forces linked to the Saudi-backed government showed signs of pulling back to defend Aden. Saudi warplanes kept control of the skies near Taiz, what experts call air superiority, and tried to hit groups of Houthi fighters gathering west of the city.
The Institute for the Study of War said it was changing its earlier view that Houthi forces on the coastal plain were collapsing. It cited evidence in the last 24 hours that the Houthis had stopped advances by government-aligned forces. Southern Giants forces, a pro-government militia, were leading efforts to retake the Bab al-Mandab strait, the narrow passage for ships at the southern Red Sea, and were positioned near the military airport in Dhubab district by the strait.
This follows weeks of shifting positions. The Houthis claimed control of Mocha in Taiz province in September. By October 5, they had cut a supply route linking the besieged city of Taiz with Aden, the government's interim capital. Yemen had carried out 20 strikes on Houthi targets in Taiz province, as reported on October 1-2. Reuters
More than 200,000 people had been displaced by the latest fighting as of October 7, 2026. Arab News
Cross-border attacks widened the same day. The Houthis claimed to have fired missiles toward two airports in Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh. Houthi drones and missiles also targeted Abha airport. AFP Saudi authorities said three people were killed and 36 wounded after first saying the attacks had been stopped. Saudi Arabia bombed the runway of the airport in Sanaa, the capital held by the Houthis. In September, Houthi fighters said they used drones and missiles to attack a military base in southern Saudi Arabia.
In my view, three places explain the pressure. Taiz sits on road links between the northern highlands and the south, like a junction. Aden provides air links for the Saudi-backed government. Bab al-Mandab controls sea traffic at the southern Red Sea. Striking Aden's runway while pushing on Taiz and claiming long-range strikes on Riyadh and Abha puts strain on government supply lines in the south while raising costs inside Saudi Arabia. Saudi control of the skies near Taiz has not reversed the ground trend so far, and the pullback toward Aden suggests defending Aden now competes with attacking on the coastal plain.
