As Iranian-backed Houthi rebels continue their bid for control over Yemen, Arab coalition forces are fighting back, with warships believed to be Egyptian shelling a column of Houthis advancing along the coastal road near Aden on Monday. It was the first known report of naval forces taking part in the conflict. Another airstrike killed at least 40 people at a camp for displaced people in north Yemen on Monday, humanitarian workers said, in an attack which apparently targeted nearby Houthi fighters battling Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. Yemen's state news agency Saba, which is under the control of the Houthis, said the camp at Haradh was hit by Saudi planes. It said the dead included women and children, and showed the bodies of five children laid out on a blood-streaked floor. A Saudi military spokesman said the kingdom was seeking clarification on the incident. "It could have been that the fighter jets replied to fire, and we cannot confirm that it was a refugee camp," Brig. Gen. Ahmed Asseri said. "We will ask the Yemeni official agencies to confirm that," he told reporters. Yemeni Foreign Minister Riyadh Yassin earlier blamed Houthi artillery for the explosion. The International Organization for Migration, which initially reported 45 deaths, said 40 people were killed and 200 wounded -- dozens of them severely. A humanitarian worker said earlier the strike hit a truck of Houthi militiamen at the gate to the Mazraq camp, near Haradh, killing residents, guards and fighters. Mazraq, in the province of Hajja next to the Saudi border, is a cluster of camps that are home to thousands of Yemenis displaced by over a decade of wars between the Houthis and the Yemeni state, as well as East African migrants. Saudi-led war planes also fired at least one missile at a Houthi-allied base near the airport in Aden's Khor Maksar district, residents said. A stray shell killed at least three people on a mini-bus in the same area, local fighters said. A Hadi aide told the Dubai-based Al Arabiya TV that Houthi fighters also shelled the president's private residence in Khor Maksar, killing a number of guards. While Hadi's fighters ceded ground around Aden, Pakistan announced it would send troops to support the Saudi-led coalition. "We have already pledged full support to Saudi Arabia in its operation against rebels and will join the coalition," a Pakistani official said. In a cabinet statement, Saudi King Salman said Riyadh was open to a meeting of all Yemeni factions willing to preserve Yemen's security, under the auspices of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council. The Arab leaders agreed at their meeting in Egypt to form a unified military force to counter growing regional security threats, such as the Yemen conflict. Saudi Arabia said it was focusing for now on air strikes against the Houthis, rather than a ground campaign, promising to increase pressure on them over coming days. At the same time, Arabic media outlets quoted Saudi officials saying they are prepared to launch a ground invasion. Concerns of a potential ground conflict have led several countries to evacuate citizens from Yemen in recent days. China has evacuated some 500 citizens, as has Pakistan, while India said on Monday it was preparing to fly out 500 people from Sanaa. Meanwhile, tensions are growing between Ankara and Iran, following Turkey's vocal of support for the Saudi-led coalition against the Iranian-backed Houthis. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that "Iran and the terrorist groups must withdraw" from Yemen, adding that the Islamic Republic is simply vying for control in the region and is fighting the Islamic State group in an effort to "take it's place." In response, Iran has called Turkeys envoy to Tehran to be reprimanded and to explain the Turkish president's comments. Erdogan is scheduled to visit Iran next week, though as Turkey's relationship with Iran continues to sour, some believe he may cancel the visit.
Credit: Reuters
In the capital Sanaa, controlled by the Houthis, jets struck around the presidential palace overnight and made more raids throughout the day. Most of the airstrikes, launched on Thursday, have taken place so far only at night.
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שיתוף כתבה
Egyptian warships strike rebel targets in Yemen
Humanitarian workers say Saudi airstrike aimed at Houthi rebels hit a displaced persons camp on Monday, killing 40 people • Conflicting reports surface on possibility of Saudi ground invasion • Turkey and Iran lock horns over Yemen conflict.