A Houthi missile attack on Aden's presidential palace on Thursday hit a command center for the Saudi-led coalition as well as the coalition forces' headquarters, a Yemeni government minister told AFP. The minister, who spoke anonymously, said three missiles struck the command center and two hit the coalition headquarters, and that there were Yemeni and Saudi casualties. Government sources gave a toll of between two and four killed, with 10 wounded.

Explosions around Al-Maashiq palace

Witnesses said at least six explosions struck on Thursday near the palace used by Yemen's internationally recognized government. A security official told the Associated Press where the blasts landed:

• •At least two explosions on top of the hill near Al-Maashiq palace.
• •Two more near the security gate.

The complex, known as Al-Maashiq, serves as the working seat of Yemen's internationally recognized government in Aden.

Casualties and officials unharmed

The casualty counts differed by source. An official told the Associated Press that at least two people were killed in the Aden attack, while government military sources told AFP that at least four people were killed and 10 wounded.

A government minister, speaking anonymously, said Prime Minister Shaya al-Zindani had been present at the palace but was not harmed in any way. There was no immediate confirmation that the prime minister was in the palace at the time of the attack, though a government official said Yemeni leaders in Aden were safe.

Houthis claim responsibility

The Iran-backed Houthis, based in northern Yemen, quickly claimed responsibility. They said they attacked a military operations headquarters shared with the "Saudi enemy".

The Houthis described the strike as part of a strategy that includes attacks on airports and oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. The Yemeni government said the Houthis carried out the attack with missiles and drones, according to the Aden-based Saba news agency.

First strike on the complex since July

It was the first attack on the palace complex since Yemen's civil war flared back to life in July. The fighting has revived the civil war after four years of relative calm, with alarm focused on Taiz, Yemen's third-largest city, which is besieged by the Houthis and short of basic necessities.

Attacks across Saudi Arabia

The same day, Saudi air defenses reported a series of intercepts across the kingdom:

• •Earlier on Thursday, the Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted a cruise missile over the province of Medina.
• •Saudi Arabia said it destroyed a drone over the country's eastern province.
• •Another drone was intercepted in Khamis Mushait, near a major military airbase.

The coalition statement did not assign blame for the Medina attack. Houthi spokesperson Brig Gen Yahya Saree denied the rebels carried it out. The Houthis have previously pledged not to attack airports in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

The disruptions reached the skies as well: Flightradar24 said dozens of flights were canceled or delayed at Jeddah's airport, and thousands of flights across the kingdom have been disrupted after the Houthis warned airlines about using Saudi airspace for attacks.

Saudi Arabia said earlier this week that Houthi attacks also hit the headquarters of the oil giant Saudi Aramco, damaging the building, as the escalation complicated efforts to end the wider Iran war and further rattled global markets.