Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi

ADEN — Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi was evacuated to safety Thursday after a warplane targeted a palace in Aden where he was staying after fleeing political turmoil in the capital, an aide said.

“President Hadi has been evacuated to a safe place, but he has not left the country,” the source said as the plane made a second pass over the palace in the southern port city.

Security forces, who deployed anti-aircraft guns to ward off the plane, said it had opened fire in a first pass but missed the palace, hitting a nearby hillside.

Hadi took refuge in Aden last month after fleeing house arrest in Sanaa under the Huthi militia that has taken control of the capital.

The insecurity has spread to Aden, where deadly clashes forced the closure of its international airport Thursday.

Hadi described the attack on his palace as an attempted coup backed by the previous regime that was ousted by a popular revolt in 2012.

The fighting on the ground and the air attack is a part of a deepening power struggle between Hadi and the Houthi group, which is allied with former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

“The failure of the military coup…was backed by the former regime, which was one of the perpetrators of extermination, murder and displacement,” Hadi said in a statement.

At least six people were killed and 20 wounded in fierce fighting between supporters and opponents of Hadi, security sources said.