Thousands rally in Yemen's Taizz in support of anti-Houthi offensive

SANAA

Thousands of Yemenis staged a massive rally in Yemen's central Taizz province on Thursday to show support for a Saudi-led offensive against the Shiite Houthi group.

Protesters chanted slogans in support of the anti-Houthi offensive and waved photos of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz.

Late Wednesday, Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a military operation, including airstrikes, against Houthi positions in Yemen.

In a joint statement issued earlier Thursday, five Gulf States – Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait – said the operation had come "in response to a request by Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi to protect Yemen from the aggression of Houthi militias."

The statement went on to accuse the Houthis of being "the tool of foreign powers that seek to harm Yemen's security and stability."

Houthis, vigilantes clash in Yemen's Aden; deaths reported

Clashes erupted between Houthi militants and local vigilantes in Yemen's southern city of Aden amid reports of fatalities.

"Several people were killed and injured in clashes that erupted in the Al-Qahira district of northern Aden," a vigilante source told The Anadolu Agency.

According to the source, the fighting was still raging between the warring camps.

Fractious Yemen has descended into violence and chaos since last September, when the Shiite Houthi group overran capital Sanaa, from where they have sought to extend their influence to other parts of the country.

Earlier this week, the Houthis began to advance in force on Aden – where embattled President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi is holed up – prompting Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies to launch a military offensive against Houthi-held sites in Yemen.