Flights at international airport halted after clashes in Yemen's Aden

Flights were halted at Aden's international airport after heavy armed clashes erupted between the security forces and dozens of tribal militias on Thursday morning, a military official told Xinhua.

"Dozens of well-armed tribal militias allied with President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi engaged in armed confrontations with security forces around Aden's airport that forced the authorities to halt all flights," a local military source based in Aden said on condition of anonymity.

"The pro-Hadi tribal militias are attempting to take over control of the airport along with some military bases by force and expel the security troops from the area," the military source said.

An explosion was heard and heavy gunshots are ranging out across the Khora Maksar district in Aden where the airport is located on Thursday morning, according to local residents.

Tensions in Aden have mounted in mid February amid an escalating standoff between Hadi and the Special Security Forces leadership, which has sparked deadly clashes.

Hadi, who fled to Aden in late February after escaping house arrest of the Shiite Houthi militias that controls the capital Sanaa, issued early this month after resuming his duties the first presidential decree which orders to sack a number of intelligence and security commanders in the city.

Brigadier Abdul-Haffez Saqqaf, commander of the Special Security Forces in Aden, was replaced for his suspected links to the Shiite Houthi group.

However, Saqqaf defied Hadi's decree and refused to step down from his post, considering Hadi as illegitimate president. He has waged sporadic clashes with pro-Hadi tribal militias who try to force the well-trained troops to surrender.

Hadi has stepped up to confront the Houthis after he arrived in Aden last month, with support of the Gulf nations. He called on political parties to move the reconciliation talks to the Saudi capital of Riyadh, a move rejected by the Shiite Houthi that currently controls Sanaa.

On Feb. 6, the Houthi group announced a unilateral move to dissolve the parliament of Yemen and form a presidential council to take over power, which was rejected by Yemen's political parties and denounced by the Gulf Arab states.

More than a dozen countries have closed their embassies in Sanaa in protest against Houthi's decision. Some Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, have moved their missions to Aden to show support for Hadi.

Security situation in the Arab country deteriorated since then as observers said Yemen is on the brink of civil war and the al-Qaida group based in the country's southern regions, taking advantage of the unrest, may expand its influence. Endi