Sanaa , Yemen ( CNN ) A Yemeni jet commanded by the capital 's Houthi conquerors fired missiles at a palace housing Yemen 's deposed President in the country 's south Thursday , injuring no one but marking an escalation in deadly fighting that 's erupted between forces for and against the ousted leader . The jet flew from Sanaa , which Houthi rebels overtook in January , to the palace in the port city of Aden , where the jet conducted the strikes Thursday afternoon , a senior air force official said on condition of anonymity . Deposed President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi was at the Aden palace compound when the first missile struck the grounds , but he then fled safely , a Hadi aide said , also on condition of anonymity . A second missile struck near the compound , but , like the first , injured no one , two officials in Aden said . Another Houthi-commanded air force jet fired a missile in downtown Aden about a half-hour later , again injuring no one , Aden Gov . AbdulAziz Hobtour said . It was n't immediately clear what the missile struck , or what the intended target was . The airstrikes came on the same day opposing Yemeni military forces -- those commanded by Houthis , and those led by officers loyal to Hadi -- battled in Aden , leaving at least 13 people dead and 21 others injured , Hobtour said . The Houthis , a minority rebel group that holds sway in the nation 's north but has less influence elsewhere , took control over military forces stationed near Sanaa , including the air force , as it overtook the government there in January . Hadi initially was put under house arrest in Sanaa , but he escaped last month , fleeing to Aden and declaring himself to still be president . Some military forces still are loyal to Hadi , including troops from his native province in the south . On Thursday , clashes erupted in Aden when a special forces commander loyal to the Houthis , Abdul Hafez Al Saqqaf , ordered hundreds of his troops to create checkpoints at all roads leading to Aden 's airport . Watch : Who are the Houthis ? The clashes were reported to be taking place on four different fronts in the airport and a surrounding military base . Passengers were stranded at the airport , with flights canceled throughout the day . Al Saqqaf 's forces gave up much of their ground in Aden after pro-Hadi forces struck them with heavy artillery and tanks , a pro-Hadi military commander said on condition of anonymity . Some of the wounded in Thursday 's fighting were in critical condition , officials said , suggesting the death toll could rise . The Houthis entered Sanaa in September , demanding a greater share of political power . They took control over a period of months , seizing the presidential palace in January . The unrest has plunged Yemen deeper into chaos . Hadi had issued a presidential decree replacing Al Saqqaf two weeks ago , but the decree was not implemented . Journalist Hakim Almasmari reported from Sanaa . CNN 's Jason Hanna wrote from Atlanta , and CNN 's Jethro Mullen wrote from Hong Kong . CNN 's Brian Walker contributed to this report .
A jet fires missiles on and near airport grounds in Aden . rebels are killed at an airport in Aden amid fierce fighting . supporters of Yemeni President Abdu bin Mansour frequently clash with special forces loyal to him .