2nd LD: Fighter jet bombs presidential palace, no casualties

A fighter jet that took off from Yemen's capital of Sanaa bombed the republican palace where President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi stays in the southern port city of Aden on Thursday afternoon, a government official based in Aden told Xinhua.

"The military warplane fired one rocket on a building inside the republican palace in Aden, only causing material damages, without any casualties," the official said on condition of anonymity.

"The anti-aircraft weapons were used to expel the military jets that came from Sanaa, flying over Hadi's residence in Aden," the source said.

The president has evacuated to a safe place, he added.

A presidential source close to Hadi told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that "I can confirm that a fighter jet dropped a bomb or fired a missile in the vicinity of the presidential palace in Aden, no casualties."

Hadi, who fled to Aden in late February after escaping house arrest by the Shiite Houthi group that controls Sanaa, resumed presidential duties in the city.

However, tribal militias from Hadi's hometown of the southern Abyan province have been in sporadic clashes with security forces led by Brigadier Abdul-Haffez Saqqaf who does not recognize Hadi's legitimacy in Aden since late February when Hadi issued his first presidential decree in the port city to sack Saqqaf who was accused of supporting the Houthi group.

The tribal fighters have closed all roads in Aden and gunshots could be heard across the city.

Minister of Defence Major General Mahmoud al-Subaihi, who fled house arrest by the Houthi group early this month, was seen at Badr military base near the airport to lead the army operation against security forces suspected to be loyal to Houthis, according to an army officer.

The defense minister managed to take control of Aden's international airport and also entered the headquarters of the security forces after fierce fighting left about 15 killed and dozens wounded from both sides.

The Houthi-led Supreme Security Committee in Sanaa issued a statement via the official Saba news agency, calling for halting clashes in the Aden city. It said the country is on the brink of civil war and urged all parties to return to dialogue.

The situation in Yemen deteriorated in September 2014 when the Houthis violently took over control of the capital after deadly clashes that led to the cabinet reshuffle. In January, the Houthi fighters seized the presidential palace, which forced Hadi to submit resignations.

On Feb. 6, the Houthis announced the dissolution of the parliament and the formation of a presidential council to take over power, a unilateral move rejected by Yemen's political parties and denounced by Gulf Arab states.

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

Observers said the country may slip to civil war and the al-Qaida group based in the southern regions will take advantage of the power vacuum to expand its presence in the country, which may endanger the region, especially the oil-rich neighbour Saudi Arabia. Endit