Coalition strikes Yemen rebels

Aden, April 4: A Saudi- led coalition pounded rebels in southern Yemen Saturday and dropped more arms to loyalist fighters as the UN Security Council was to discuss calls for “humanitarian pauses” in the air war.

Yemen’s main southern city, a last foothold of supporters of absent President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, has been shaken by more than a week of fierce clashes between Shia rebels and loyalist militia.

Coalition warplanes and ships bombarded Shia Houthi rebel positions in Aden on the 10th night of Operation Decisive Storm. A military source said at least 13 rebel fighters were killed.

For a second night, the coalition air dropped weapons and ammunition to supporters of Mr Hadi, who fled to Saudi Arabia late last month as the Iranbacked Houthis approached his refuge. Pro- Hadi fighters were seen unpacking rifles from wooden crates dropped by parachute. “We thank the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and all the Gulf countries, as well as our brothers in Arab countries, for dropping supplies,” said Ahmad Qassem al- Shaawi, a local militia chief.

Aided by the strikes and arms drops, the pro- Hadi fighters have managed to drive the rebels back from some parts of central Aden including Mr Hadi’s palace. At least 185 dead and 1,282 wounded from the clashes have been counted in hospitals in Aden since March 26, the city’s health department director Al- Kheder Lassouar said.

Three- quarters were civilians, he added. The toll does not include casualties among the Houthi Shia rebels and their allies he said. The coalition says it has no plans for now to deploy ground forces in Yemen.