ADEN, Yemen, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- 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.
The strikes came amid an intensifying confrontation between the Houthis and Yemeni government forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition, with missile, drone and air attacks escalating across several parts of the country in recent days.
Yemen has been mired in conflict since late 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and much of the country's north. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 in support of the internationally recognized Yemeni government. ■
