Saudi-led coalition launches new airstrikes in Yemen

The Saudi Arabian-led coalition on Friday launched five more air raids against Shia Houthi positions in Yemen's capital Sanaa and in the northern province of Saada, the stronghold of the rebels.

According to findings by the Efe news agency, the bombings in Sanaa and its surroundings targeted reserve force camps, and those of the former Republican Guard loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh and the Houthis.

The airstrikes bombed the headquarters of the reservists in al-Sabbaha area, western Sanaa, and two other major buildings located in the north of the country, near the international airport.

The presidential palace, which has been seized by the Houthis, was raided during the coalition's Operation al-Hazm Storm on Thursday.

Another airstrike was carried out south of the capital on an area near the Hadda suburb, where most embassies are located.

Meanwhile in Saada, which has been under the control of the Houthis since 2010, bombardments hit a market in Kitaf al-Boqaa town, on the border with Saudi Arabia.

Eyewitnesses told Efe that the raids have caused civilian casualties, without specifying any exact figures.

Saudi Arabia, heading the coalition of 10 countries including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Sudan, launched the al-Hazm Storm offensive on Wednesday night to stop the advance of the Shia militias.

Riyadh responded to Yemeni President Abdo Rabbu Mansour Hadi's request for military intervention against the Houthis, who control virtually all Yemeni territory, after successfully extending their reach to the southern provinces of the country in recent days.