Missiles Strike Yemen Palace Complex, Death Toll Disputed

Missiles struck the Al-Maashiq Palace complex in Aden on October 15, killing members of Prime Minister Shaya Al-Zindani’s security detail, according to Yemen’s internationally recognized government. The prime minister and other government members were safe, officials said. The death toll remained disputed in accounts attributed to Yemeni authorities. The government said two members of the prime minister’s security detail were killed. Other reports citing Yemen’s Information Ministry put the toll at four, including two guards. The supplied accounts did not resolve the difference. The Houthis said they had targeted a Saudi military operations headquarters or military buildup inside the palace compound. Their military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, described the strike as part of the group’s policy of targeting Saudi military deployments. The government and the Houthis thus gave different descriptions of the compound’s purpose and the intended target. The attack took place as Houthi-Saudi hostilities escalated.