Yemen’s internationally recognised government has warned that a Houthi strike on Aden International Airport marks a critical shift in the group’s tactics, moving from a potential risk against international flight paths to direct, targeted attacks on vital civilian infrastructure, Al Jazeera reports.

A letter sent to the UN Security Council and the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres by Yemen’s UN envoy, Abdullah Al-Saadi, stated that the Houthis launched two ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones at the airport at dawn on October 7. The strike occurred as a commercial airliner was preparing to land and while passengers and staff filled the airport terminal, it said.

The Yemeni government said that the attack constitutes a serious escalation, and a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and international rules for the protection of civil aviation.

It also urged the Security Council to condemn the attack in the strongest terms, hold those responsible to account, and fully enforce arms embargoes to block the flow of weapons, military hardware and foreign technical expertise to the Houthis.

The government warned that continued military support for the Iran-backed group directly threatens global navigation and risks severe humanitarian and material disasters. It also called for stronger international cooperation with Yemeni institutions to protect airports, civilian facilities and air routes.