Arab coalition launches airstrikes on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemeni capital
Airstrikes conducted in accordance with international law, says Saudi-led coalition
YEMEN
The Saudi Arabian-led Arab coalition said Saturday that it has launched airstrikes against Houthi-controlled sites in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa.
Planes targeted military points of the Iranian-backed Houthi militias, according to Saudi official news agency SPA, who said the coalition asked civilians to stay away from areas targeted by fighter jets and noted the airstrikes were carried out under international law and customs.
The Houthis-run Al-Masirah TV said the coalition launched four airstrikes that targeted the Sanaa International Airport and a war college.
Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iran-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including Sanaa.
A Saudi-led coalition aimed at reinstating the Yemeni government has worsened the situation, causing one of the world’s worst man-made humanitarian crises with 233,000 people killed, nearly 80% or about 30 million needing humanitarian assistance and protection, and more than 13 million in danger of starvation, according to UN estimates.
*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz.
