Yemeni leader leaves country as Saudi Arabia keeps up air strikes on rebels

Yemen's president, Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi, left his refuge in Aden under Saudi protection yesterday and arrived in Saudi Arabia as Houthi rebels fought forces still loyal to him on the outskirts of the southern port city.

Throughout the day, military aircraft from Saudi Arabia and Arab allies struck at Houthi forces, who have taken over much of the country in their campaign to oust Hadi.

The Saudi-led military intervention marked a major escalation of the Yemeni crisis, in which Iran supports the Shia Muslim Houthis, and Sunni Muslim monarchies in the Gulf back Hadi and his fellow Sunni loyalists in Yemen's south.

Iran denounced the surprise assault on the Houthis and demanded an immediate halt to Saudi-led military operations.

Tehran also made clear Saudi Arabia’s deployment of a Sunni coalition against its Shia enemies would complicate efforts to end a conflict that will only inflame the sectarian hatreds already fuelling wars around the Middle East.

But Mr Hadi’s departure from Aden, where he had holed up since fleeing the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa in February, could also be a turning point.

Arab summit

Saudi state television channel Al Ekhbariya said Mr Hadi had arrived in the Saudi capital Riyadh yesterday. Saudi-owned al Arabiya television said he would go onto the Egyptian Red Sea resort of

Sharm el-Sheikh

to attend an Arab summit tomorrow.

Mohammed Marem, the director of Hadi's office, confirmed he would attend the Sharm meeting in person, dropping his original plan to address other Arab leaders via a CCTV link.

“In light of the events and developments that have happened since dawn, he has decided to attend the summit and participate in person,” he said.

It was not certain if Mr Hadi would be able to return to Aden, however.

On the city’s northern outskirts, Houthis and allied troops fought gun battles with militiamen loyal to Hadi. Thirteen pro-Houthi fighters and three militiamen were killed.

Pro-Hadi fighters retook Aden airport, a day after it was captured by Houthi forces advancing on the city. The facility remained closed.

The Saudi move was a major gamble by the world's top oil exporter to check Iranian influence in its back yard without direct military backing from Washington.

"We will do whatever it takes in order to protect the legitimate government of Yemen from falling," said Adel al- Jubeirm Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the US, in Washington.

In Sanaa, which the Houthis seized in September, military aircraft bombed the main airport and al Dulaimi military air base, residents said, in an apparent attempt to weaken the Houthis’ air power.

A witness said four or five houses had been damaged. Rescue workers put the death toll at 13, including a doctor pulled from the rubble of his clinic.

Heavy street fighting

In a day of attacks, military aircraft struck Houthi fighters near Yemen’s border with Saudi Arabia, tribal and Houthi sources said. There was also heavy street fighting in Houta, north of Aden, in which five pro-Houthi fighters and four militiamen were killed.

Thousands of Houthi supporters gathered to condemn the air strikes at the gate to Sanaa’s old city, waving Houthi banners and chanting: “Death to America!”

Al-Arabiya said Saudi Arabia was contributing 100 military aircraft to operation "Storm of Resolve" with more than 85 were provided by the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Morocco and Sudan.

Jordan and Sudan said their forces were involved in the operation. Egyptian air forces were participating and four naval ships headed to secure the Gulf of Aden. Turkey said it may provide logistical support to the Saudi-led operation.

Pakistan's prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, said any threat to Saudi Arabia would "evoke a strong response" from Islamabad. Pakistan – which borders eastern Iran – was considering a Saudi request for troops to send to Yemen, Islamabad said.

A Saudi official familiar with defence matters said a “land offensive might be needed to restore order”.– (Reuters)