ADEN/WASHINGTON/CAIRO/RIYADH — Yemen’s Houthi group intensified attacks on the government-held southeastern province of Hadramout on Wednesday, launching drones and ballistic missiles toward a key oil export terminal and the province’s main airport, a local security official told Xinhua.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Houthi drones targeted the vicinity of the Al-Dhabba oil terminal near the coastal city of Al-Shihr, while the group again targeted Al-Rayan International Airport in Mukalla, the provincial capital, with a ballistic missile.
The attack on Al-Rayan came hours after four ballistic missiles struck the airport, triggering powerful explosions and sending plumes of smoke into the air. There were no immediate reports of casualties from the latest strikes.
Hadramout’s local government said in a press statement that the earlier airport attack involved missiles and drones but caused no casualties.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea claimed responsibility for the earlier attack, saying the group targeted military equipment allegedly transported to Al-Rayan aboard Saudi military cargo aircraft. He provided no evidence for the allegation.
Non-emergency US govt staff to leave S. Arabia
The US State Department on Wednesday ordered non-emergency US government staff and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia as Houthi attacks intensify.
The ordered departure applies only to Saudi Arabia, not to other countries in the Middle East region, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott later clarified on X.
President: Egypt would defend Saudi territory
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said Wednesday that Egypt’s military efforts to defend Saudi Arabia would be limited to protecting the kingdom’s territory and borders and would not involve attacking Yemen, according to a statement by the Egyptian presidency.
Sisi made the remarks during a session on national and citizen security on the third day of Egypt Forum 2026, according to the statement.
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Sisi added that Egypt would also defend the territory of any other Arab country “if requested,” stressing that Egyptian military efforts would not extend beyond Egypt’s borders or those of the country it would defend.
S. Arabia discusses ties with France, Jordan
Saudi Arabia held separate high-level talks in Riyadh on Wednesday with the visiting French president and Jordanian foreign minister to review bilateral strategic ties and regional developments.
During a meeting between Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and French President Emmanuel Macron, the leaders reviewed historical and strategic relations between the two countries, existing areas of cooperation, and ways to strengthen them across various sectors in their mutual interests, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
They also exchanged views on regional and international developments and discussed coordination of efforts aimed at strengthening security and stability.
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Also on Wednesday, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud met with Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi to discuss regional developments and bilateral relations, according to a statement by Jordan’s Foreign Ministry.
During the talks, Safadi reaffirmed Jordan’s solidarity with Saudi Arabia in confronting Houthi attacks, condemning the targeting of civilians and economic infrastructure as a flagrant violation of international law.
Missile strike on military target near Aden airport
Houthi group said Wednesday it had launched a ballistic missile at a military target near Aden International Airport in the southern port city of Aden, where a powerful explosion shook surrounding neighborhoods, with no casualties immediately reported.
Sarea said in a statement posted on social media platform X that the missile targeted what he described as a “Saudi military operations room” at Badr military base in Aden, claiming the strike was “direct and precise.”
A local security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to Xinhua that a ballistic missile had struck the vicinity of Aden International Airport, but said the exact target and extent of any damage remained unclear.
The explosion rocked parts of Aden, the temporary seat of Yemen’s internationally recognized government, while smoke was seen rising from an area near the airport, according to a Xinhua reporter on the ground and local residents.
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