Houthi rebels make gains in Yemen despite Saudi-led airstrikes

By Keith Walker with Mauuella Scarpellini, Reuters, AP, Stratfor

Published on 28/03/2015 - 01:26

Saudi Arabia and its Gulf Arab allies continued airstrikes on rebel-controlled Sanaa, the capital of Yemen. They want to prevent the rebels from

Saudi Arabia and its Gulf Arab allies continued airstrikes on rebel-controlled Sanaa, the capital of Yemen. They want to prevent the rebels from expanding their control in the country.

The Saudi Press Agency released footage it says shows Saudi jets bombing Sanaa’s international airport on Friday (March 27).

The Houthi-controlled Saba news agency put the death toll in Sanaa at 24 and said 43 were wounded and 14 houses were destroyed.

At least six children under the age of 10 were among those killed, according to an Amnesty International researcher who spoke to hospital officials and eyewitnesses.

Meanwhile Hassan Nasrallah, leader of pro-Iranian group Hezbollah, has called for an immediate halt to the “unjust, Saudi-American aggression.”

“We call for an immediate halt of this aggression, stopping every second of it,” he said in a televised speech. “We call for a restoration of talks to find a political solution in Yemen and this is possible.

A transcript of Nasralla’s speech may be found here

Thousands of protesters supporting the airstrikes took to the streets after Friday prayers in the Houthi stronghold of Taiz.

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels made gains in the east and south of Yemen on Friday, seizing the port of Shaqra on the Arabian sea, despite a second day of Saudi-led airstrikes.