1st LD: Saudi-led air forces bomb Yemen's Sanaa, Taiz

The Saudi-led coalition forces launched a fresh air strike against military targets in Yemen's capital Sanaa and the southern province of Taiz on Thursday night, sources told Xinhua.

The airstrike in Sanaa hit a military base affiliated with the reserve forces which is the former elite republican guards loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, a security officer said on condition of anonymity.

Another struck an infantry base at the western suburb of the capital, which is also affiliated with the reserve forces.

The Houthi fighters responded the air raid with intensified anti-aircraft artillery which can be heard across the city.

Before bombing the capital, the Saudi fighter jets raided the southern province of Taiz which is under control of the Houthi group.

"The headquarters of the Tariq military air base was bombed by the Saudi-led air forces, causing huge damages," the local government official said on condition of anonymity.

A military source confirmed to Xinhua by phone that "the air strike destroyed some air defenses and missiles inside the air base of Tariq controlled by the Shiite Houthi group."

There were no immediate reports of casualties till now, according to sources in Sanaa and Taiz.

The Saudi-led forces started their air raid early Thursday in Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, the Houthi stronghold of Saada province and the southern Lahj province.

Warplanes struck the al-Dailamy air force base in northern Sanaa and destroyed the runway, which is adjacent to the civil airport, a defense ministry official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The strikes also targeted weapon depots at a missile base in the southern part of Sanaa, which is controlled by the army loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Rescue personnel who arrived at a civilian compound near the air base on Thursday morning found at least 15 houses destroyed in the air raid. They said they have found 25 bodies till Thursday afternoon, and that there might be more victims found after they removed all wreckage.

Meanwhile, 50 people have been sent to hospitals for treatment, all of them are civilians living in houses near the air force base.

During a televised speech on Thursday night, the leader of Shiite Houthi group, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, called Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries criminals and become "tools for the United States."

In the southern port city of Aden, the Houthi fighters were fighting pro-Hadi tribal militia on the outskirts on Thursday night.

Yemeni President Abdrabbo Mansour Hadi, who was supposed to stay in Aden for the past two days, arrived in the Saudi Arabia's capital of Riyadh on Thursday, Saudi Press Agency reported.

Upon arrival at Riyadh Airbase, Hadi was received by Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, also the defense minister, the president of the Royal Court and special advisor to the Saudi King, as well as Khalid bin Ali Al-Humaidan, the chief of General Intelligence, the report said.

No further details were reported about the nature of the visit, as Hadi is supposed to head the delegation of his country to participate in the Arab League summit which will be held in Egyptian Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Shiekh during March 28-29. Endit