01 February 2018•Update: 01 February 2018
By Mohamed al-Samie
SANAA
Saudi-led coalition warplanes on Thursday struck a military airbase held by Yemen’s Shia Houthi militia outside capital Sanaa, witnesses said.
“Coalition warplanes targeted the Al-Dailami Airbase near Sanaa International Airport just north of the capital,” one eyewitness said, speaking to Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity due to security concerns.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing columns of smoke rising from the targeted site, but were unable to ascertain the extent of the damage.
The Houthi-run Al-Masirah satellite channel, for its part, reported that “Saudi aggressor aircraft” had hit the airbase with at least five separate airstrikes.
The broadcaster did not provide any additional details.
The Saudi-led coalition, meanwhile, has yet to issue an official statement on the reported air raids.
Yemen has been dogged by conflict since 2014, when the Houthis overran much of the country, including capital Sanaa, forcing Yemen’s Saudi-backed government to set up an interim capital in the coastal city of Aden.
In 2015, Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies -- who accuse the Houthis of serving as an Iranian proxy -- launched a massive military campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi gains.
