Saudi-led coalition in Yemen targets drone store near presidential palace

Aircraft from the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen on Saturday attacked a camp containing drones near Yemen’s presidential palace in the Houthi-controlled capital, Saudi state TV reported.

The Saudi-led coalition backs the government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, which was ousted from power in Sanaa by the Houthis in late 2014.

“The coalition staged a selective military operation to destroy a legal military target,” a statement by the coalition issued later by the state-run Saudi News Agency (SPA) said on Saturday.

The coalition said the air raids targeted a cave used by the Houthis to store drones in a camp in the vicinity of the presidential complex, which is now controlled by the Houthis.

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Yemen’s war has killed tens of thousands of people – some of them from coalition air strikes – and driven 10 million to the brink of famine. The Arabian Peninsula country is also suffering its third major outbreak of cholera since the conflict began. In December, the warring parties reached a deal at UN-led peace talks for a ceasefire and troop withdrawal from the Red Sea port of Hudaydah, Yemen’s lifeline for fuel and food.

The truce has largely held but the withdrawal has stalled due to mistrust among the parties, calling into question the UN goal of further talks to agree on a framework for political negotiations to end the war. Violence and displacement also continue in other parts of Yemen not subject to the ceasefire.

Saudi quagmire in Yemen – Cartoon [Carlos Latuff/MiddleEastMonitor]