Two missiles hit near Aden airport a day after Houthi strike on palace compound kills 5

The conflict in Yemen has intensified again. Fighting between the internationally recognised government and the Houthi rebels has escalated, and fresh developments have been reported from Aden, an important port city in the south.

According to the latest information, two powerful ballistic missiles fell near the international airport complex in Aden, causing three major explosions in the city one after another. Local emergency services and ambulances reached the area on hearing the news. According to a preliminary inquiry, there is so far no official report of any casualties in this attack.

A day before this attack, the Houthi rebels had targeted the Al-Mashiq presidential palace complex in Aden. Five people were killed and more than 16 were seriously injured in that missile attack. An official spokesperson of the Houthi rebels has claimed responsibility. The Houthi group claimed the attack was meant to target the Saudi Military Operations Headquarters located in the complex.

The repercussions of the conflict in Yemen are also being felt in neighbouring Saudi Arabia. According to Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led military coalition, several drones and missiles sent by the Houthi group into Saudi territory were detected in time and destroyed in the air. Air defence systems shot down three explosive drones approaching from southern Saudi Arabia and towards the airport in the capital, Riyadh.

Another drone sent to target Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province was also destroyed. Two cruise missiles fired from over the Red Sea, and one ballistic missile heading towards the Red Sea coastal city of Yanbu, were also blown up in the air by Saudi anti-missile systems.

According to official figures released by the Saudi-led coalition, Houthi attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh have increased sharply since October 1. In the past two weeks, the airport has been hit by missile and drone attacks 20 times. The coalition said 17 people have been killed in these attacks so far and more than 330 civilians and staff injured. These figures are yet to be independently confirmed internationally.

Meanwhile, Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, said Iran is ready to help as a mediator in resolving the sharp differences between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi group, if both are willing. He firmly rejected allegations of Tehran's direct involvement in the Houthis' military operations.

Yemen has been trapped in civil war since the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and a large part of the country's north at the end of 2014. There are fears that the latest developments could trigger a regional war.