Just Before the Surprise: The Drones in Yemen Thought They Were in a Safe Place

The palace's defense systems in Yemen were activated early this morning due to a significant presence of drones in the area. This is the second incident within days in which air defense is activated over Aden. Meanwhile, another drone was reported over a military camp in Abyan. No party claimed responsibility for launching the aircraft, and no casualties were reported. The Houthis did not claim responsibility. The events come amid a sharp escalation in the war between the Houthis and Saudi-backed forces, including an attack on the port of Mokha yesterday.

Early this morning, the palace's defense systems in Yemen were activated following a significant presence of unmanned aerial vehicles in the area. This is the second incident within days in which air defense is activated over Aden. On Saturday morning, increased drone activity was reported over security and military sites in the city, including in the areas of Mansoura, Bir Ahmed, and Salah al-Din, and anti-aircraft guns were also activated then, with no reports of hits. Concurrently with the incident in Aden, another drone was reported hovering over a military camp in the northern Abyan governorate before air defense systems engaged it. No party claimed responsibility for launching the aircraft, and no casualties were reported. The Houthis did not claim responsibility for the events in Aden and Abyan, and local reports emphasize that the identity of the drones remains uncertain. The tension in Aden comes amid a sharp escalation in the war between the Houthis and Saudi-backed forces. Yesterday, the Houthis attacked the port of Mokha on the Red Sea coast using ballistic missiles and drones. The Yemeni army reported that four soldiers and three civilians were killed and about thirty people were wounded. According to the army, air defense systems shot down 11 drones that participated in the attack. The Houthis announced that their targets were concentrations of Saudi forces and weapons depots, but the Yemeni government said that residential neighborhoods and civilian infrastructure were also affected. In the same wave of escalation, the Houthis also claimed responsibility for an attack on the Aramco refinery in Jazan in southern Saudi Arabia. A fire broke out at the facility and was extinguished without casualties. The attacks come after the Houthis declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia last month, and they heighten fears of a renewal of a full-scale war in Yemen and the spillover of the conflict into the depths of Saudi Arabia and shipping routes in the Red Sea.