The Minister of Defense of Yemen said: The Houthi missile attack on the presidential palace of Yemen left five dead
The Minister of Information of Yemen says that the Prime Minister and other ministers were not harmed by ballistic missiles.
By Orla Guerin, Senior International Correspondent, reporting from Aden and David Greiton
Officials say five people were killed and 16 wounded in a Houthi missile attack on the presidential palace in the southern Yemeni port city of Aden, which is the seat of the internationally recognized government.
Minister of Information Muammar Al-Ariani told the BBC that the Prime Minister and other ministers were not harmed by the five ballistic missiles that hit Al-Mashkh Palace.
Yahya Saree, the Houthi military spokesman, said they targeted the "military operations headquarters of the Saudi enemy in Aden."
A coalition led by Saudi Arabia supports the government and provides air support for the attack by pro-government forces against the Iran-backed Houthis.
Yemeni Health Minister Qassem Bouhaiba said the casualties included "those working to protect the site and civilian workers".
Shaya Zindani, the country's prime minister, condemned the Houthis' attack on Aden, calling it "cowardly" and "a continuation of their criminal behavior."
He said that the government continues to fulfill its duties and pledged that it will not weaken the determination of its forces to continue operations against the Houthis on the southwestern coast of the Red Sea of Yemen and other front lines.
Earlier, the Houthis denied Thursday's attack on Saudi Arabia, as the coalition said its forces intercepted a naval missile in the Medina area, home to one of Islam's holiest shrines.
The Houthis have launched missiles and drones at airports, oil and gas facilities, and military bases in Saudi Arabia in retaliation for attacks on areas under their control in western Yemen, including Sana'a, the capital.
On Saturday, a Houthi missile attack on Riyadh International Airport killed 13 people, the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade.
The deputy foreign minister of Saudi Arabia accused Iran of encouraging the Houthis to escalate the conflict with the kingdom.
According to Ambassador Arjan Raid Karimli, he told reporters: "Iran continues to arm, train and support Houthi militias in violation of UN Security Council resolutions."
He added: "We think that the escalation of tensions by the Houthis in the last stage of the conflict is encouraged by Iran."
No immediate response was received from the Iranian government. However, this country has previously denied sending weapons to the Houthis and said that it only supports them politically.
Iran's foreign minister has also announced that he is ready to provide "any necessary assistance to facilitate the start of negotiations" between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.
Yemen has been devastated by a civil war that began in 2014, when the Houthis ousted the internationally recognized government from Sanaa. This conflict escalated in 2015 after the intervention of a coalition of Arab countries led by Saudi Arabia in an attempt to restore the government's sovereignty.
The unofficial four-year ceasefire began in July, when the Houthis declared a "maritime embargo" against Saudi Arabia and launched missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports, oil facilities and tankers in the Red Sea.
The Houthis said they were retaliating against Saudi Arabia's blockade of their territory, as well as an airstrike on Sana'a airport, which they blamed on the kingdom.
The conflict escalated in September after the Houthis seized part of Yemen's southwestern Red Sea coast near the Bab al-Mandab strait, a stopover for global shipping. Their advance helped boost oil prices after six months of war between the United States, Israel and Iran.
Last week, pro-government forces said they had retaken control of territory overlooking Bab al-Mandab after launching a major counteroffensive backed by Saudi airstrikes.
According to the Yemeni Ministry of Health, at least 1,282 people have been killed and 5,890 injured since August 6.
The UN says another 201,000 people have been displaced and there has been an alarming rise in suspected cholera cases.