1st LD Writethru: Houthi warplanes bomb president's residence in Yemen's Aden

Warplanes of the Yemeni Shiite Houthi group fired three rockets on the buildings in the presidential palace in the southern port city of Aden on Wednesday afternoon, a government official told Xinhua.

"Three rockets hit the buildings inside the presidential palace in Aden, with no reports of casualties at the moment," the local official in Aden said on condition of anonymity.

Residents near the palace on a hill in the city said they heard huge explosions and gunfire and saw smoke rising from the palace.

A military source said that units of the presidential guards used anti-aircraft artilleries to expel the fighter jets that came from Sanaa.

A source at the presidential palace told Xinhua that Hadi is still in Aden to command his forces to fight against the Houthi group.

He said Hadi is in "a safe and well-guarded place and he won't leave the country," declining to confirm whether or not Hadi is in the presidential palace.

The Shiite Houthi fighters backed by security forces advanced in Yemen's south and took control over a strategic military air base in southern province of Lahj early on Wednesday, a military official said.

They are advancing into Lahj's central region, about 50 km away from Aden province, where Hadi stays, the official added.

A senior Houthi member told Xinhua that the group has arrest Defense Minister Major General Mahmoud al-Subaihi in Lahj province who has been commanding most of the pro-Hadi army to battle the Houthis.

Chaos was spread in Aden city as the Houthi fighters were approaching, according to Xinhua report, and all foreign missions in the city were closed and diplomatic staff were evacuated.

The defense ministry in the capital Sanaa which is under control of the Houthi group released a message that announced a 20,000,000 riyals (about 93000 U.S. dollars) reward for information leading to arrest Hadi.

On Tuesday, fierce battles erupted between fighters of the Shiite Houthi group and pro-Hadi tribal militia in border areas between Taiz province, where the Houthi group has deployed thousands of fighters in the past three days, and Lahj province where troops supporting Hadi have a large presence.

However, after almost two days of fighting, most of the army troops in Lahj province have surrendered to the Houthi group.

On Monday, Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi called for a mass military mobilization to restore security in the south, accusing Hadi and the Gulf countries of destabilizing the country.

Hadi fled to Aden, the country's second biggest city in south of Lahj province, in late February after weeks of house arrest by the Houthi group in the capital Sanaa, and stepped up confrontations with the Houthis who took over control of the capital last September.

In his first public speech after arrived in Aden, Hadi said on Saturday that the Houthi group should withdraw from Sanaa and other provinces.

He slashed on the air raid on his residence in the port city last week, calling on the army and security forces to be committed to the presidency. The actions of the Houthi militia "prompted our armed forces to deal with it," Hadi said.

U.N. envoy Jamal Benomar briefed the U.N. security council on Sunday that Yemen is on "rapid downward spiral" and current events "are leading the country away from political settlement and to the edge of civil war."

The impoverished country has mired in political gridlock since 2011 when mass protests forced former President Ali Abdullash Saleh to step down.

The three-year reconciliation talks failed to resolve the crisis but create huge power vacuum that could benefit the powerful al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula and other extremist groups.

On Friday, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for suicide bombings against the Houthi group in Yemen, which killed at least 154 people and wounded 350 others. Endit