Warplanes hit Yemen's Sanaa overnight, after dawn

Reuters Updated - December 07, 2021 at 02:27 AM.

A man flees with his family and their belongings on a motorcycle in Sanaa March 28, 2015. An Arab alliance attacking Shi'ite Muslim Houthi forces in Yemen initially plans a month-long campaign, but the operation could last five or six months, a Gulf diplomatic official said on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

Warplanes struck Yemen's capital Sanaa overnight and after daybreak on Monday, residents said, on the fifth day of a campaign by Saudi-led forces against Houthi forces opposed to President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

One of the residents said the strikes appeared mainly focussed around the diplomatic quarter of the capital.

"It was a night from hell," a Yemeni diplomat said. He said the strikes also appeared to strike weapons depots believed to be housed in tunnels dug into mountains that overlook the city.

Riyadh announced early on March 26 that it and nine other Sunni Muslim countries had commenced air strikes against the Shi'ite Houthi militia, who control the capital and are allied to the kingdom's main regional foe Iran.

Iran, which denies helping the Houthis militarily, has strongly condemned the offensive.

The Health Ministry, controlled by the Houthi movement, said on Sunday that the air strikes had killed 35 people and wounded 88 during the night of Saturday-Sunday. The figures could not be independently confirmed.

Published on March 30, 2015 05:02