Forces loyal to Yemeni president retake Aden airport

Forces loyal to Yemeni President Abed-Rabbu Mansour Hadi regained control of Aden airport on Thursday after clashing with Houthi rebels and troops loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, Anadolu has reported. Security sources said that there were casualties on both sides, with several killed and wounded.

The situation escalated after the Houthi rebels took control of El-Hota city, the capital of Lahj Governorate in the south of the country. The rebels also kidnapped Defence Minister Mahmoud Subaihi and another military official.

Houthi control over Lahj, Ta’izz and Al-Dalie made it easier to besiege Aden, which Hadi announced recently to be the capital of the country. He is currently in the city, but unconfirmed reports claim that he has fled.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, along with 10 other countries, launched a military operation against the Houthi rebels late on Wednesday. The Saudi-led operation, dubbed “Decisive Storm”, saw a series of airstrikes on Houthi-held targets which reportedly killed a number of the Shia militia’s commanders.