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| Yemen Situation Update as of 8:50 a.m. ET | ||
| 2015-03-26 | ||
Huge explosions were heard in Sanaa as warplanes pounded an air base adjacent to the international airport and other locations, an AFP correspondent reported. At least 14 civilians were killed when seven homes near the air base were reduced to rubble, a civil defense source said. At daybreak hundreds of families streamed out of the capital seeking the relative safety of the provinces. "I am leaving with my family -- Sanaa is no longer safe," said one resident, who gave his name only as Mohammed, as he piled his belongings into a minibus in the Bani Huwat neighborhood. In the south, residents reported hearing explosions at the huge Al-Anad air base, north of Aden, which was seized by anti-government forces on Wednesday. The Saudi ambassador to the United States said the operation had begun with air strikes but that the kingdom and its allies stood ready to do "whatever it takes" to protect Hadi's government.
Ambassador Adel al-Jubeir said that the kingdom had assembled a coalition of more than 10 countries, including five Gulf monarchies, for the military operation to defend Hadi's government. Washington said President Barack Obama had authorized the "provision of logistical and intelligence support" for the campaign. Jubeir told reporters in Washington that the operation "is to defend and support the legitimate government of Yemen and prevent the radical Huthi movement from taking over the country". He said that for the moment the action was confined to air strikes, but that other military assets were being mobilized and that the coalition "would do whatever it takes". "The Royal Saudi Air Force has taken out the Huthi air defenses and destroyed numerous Huthi fighter planes," a Saudi adviser said, adding that air force "has pretty much secured most of the Yemeni air space and is now consolidating a wide no-fly zone." The Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya television said that the kingdom had deployed 10 fighter jets to the operation, while the United Arab Emirates had committed 30, Bahrain and Kuwait 15 each and Qatar 10. It said Saudi Arabia had also mobilized 150,000 troops near the border. All civilian fights were halted at seven Saudi airports in the border region. The official Saudi Press Agency said Egypt, Pakistan, Jordan, Morocco and Sudan had "expressed desire to participate in the operation". Egypt, Jordan and Sudan confirmed they were joining the campaign. Pakistan said it had received a Saudi request to participate but that it was still being "examined". Morocco voiced support but made no mention of any involvement by its military. The Saudi adviser said his country's defense minister warned the son of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, "who is commanding the attack on Aden that his forces face 'obliteration' if they continue their push toward Aden." Saleh, who resigned in 2012 following a year of nationwide protests, is accused of allying with the rebels, relying on the loyalty of many army units that he built during his three-decade rule. On Wednesday, army units seized Aden's international airport after switching allegiance to the rebels. But the airport was back in the hands of militia loyal to Hadi on Thursday after those troops pulled out. Iran-backed rebels loot Yemen files about U.S. spy operations Four Egypt Warships Enter Suez en Route to Gulf of Aden The officials said the ships will take part in operations "to secure" the strategic waters that control southern access to the Suez Canal. Sudan to Provide Air, Ground Forces for Yemen Operation "We are taking part with air and land forces in the 'Firmness Storm' operations and our forces have now begun mechanized movement towards the sites of the operations," Sudanese Defense Minister Abdelrahim Mohammed Hussein told a press conference. The minister gave no further details on the number of troops or aircraft involved, or what role they would play. Iraq Opposes Saudi-Led Air Strikes in Yemen | ||
| Posted by:trailing wife |
| #24 I have a friend in KSA now. They are getting very worried about the US tilt toward Iran, and this stuff in Yemen has them extremely worried about who to turn to if the US continues its present pro-Iranian course. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2015-03-26 23:21 |
| #23 Egyptian navy has fired shots at Iranian warship! |
| Posted by: 3dc 2015-03-26 23:15 |
| #22 I see 100 planes and 150,000 ground troops from Saudi as well from other sources... CNN Reuters, al-Arabiya The Saudis' main airbase is in the western part of the Magic Kingdom (far from Riyadh, by design). Not a stretch for them to send out that many aircraft. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2015-03-26 18:39 |
| #21 Friday would be a great time for the Saudis or Israel to take out the Iranian nuke program before the Obama Regime deal is announced this weekend. |
| Posted by: Ebbomosh Hupemp2664 2015-03-26 18:23 |
| #20 I see 100 planes and 150,000 ground troops from Saudi as well from other sources... CNN Reuters, al-Arabiya |
| Posted by: BigEdLB 2015-03-26 17:20 |
| #19 Reference to #1, #12, and #13. Saudi Arabia deployed some 100 fighter jets http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/us_world/article_80a5fb8d-559e-58a0-9faf-7c4502b82f8d.html SANAA, Yemen (AP): "In the air assault that began Thursday ... Saudi Arabia deployed some 100 fighter jets, 150,000 soldiers and other navy units" http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/26/middleeast/yemen-saudi-arabia-airstrikes/index.html (CNN): "The swift and sudden action involved 100 Saudi jets, 30 from the United Arab Emirates, 15 each from Kuwait and Bahrain, 10 from Qatar, and a handful from Jordan, Morocco and Sudan, plus naval help from Pakistan and Egypt, according to a Saudi adviser." http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/saudi-arabia-targets-strategic-areas-around-yemen-in-heavy-bombardment/2015/03/26/4e455830-d343-11e4-8b1e-274d670aa9c9_story.html Washington Post: "Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya News reported that Saudi Arabia had deployed 100 fighter jets, 150,000 soldiers and other navy units. |
| Posted by: Chuck 2015-03-26 17:14 |
| #18 Iran demands immediate halt to Saudi led operations in Yemen |
| Posted by: 3dc 2015-03-26 17:05 |
| #17 The Saudis real problem is a Shiia/Iranian controlled Iraq. It remains to be seen whether this is merely a prelude to dealing with that problem, which requires the US and the West to come to the realization they have been bombing the wrong side (excepting supporting the Kurds). |
| Posted by: phil_b 2015-03-26 16:52 |
| #16 From maps I've seen AlQueda-AP controls the largest area of Yemen, acres not towns or cities or people. Who's going to co-opt them or will they stay neutral? I think they're Sunni so they would team up with KSA? |
| Posted by: AlanC 2015-03-26 16:41 |
| #15 Like most burn pits, the smoke from that would poison many more, AP. |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2015-03-26 14:54 |
| #14 If you can contain the fighting to Yemen, it can function as a large burn pit of jihadis. The problem is this burn pit can burn the whole area down. I see the local war spreading all over the ME. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2015-03-26 14:32 |
| #13 If it's a typo, it isn't mine. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2015-03-26 14:04 |
| #12 re: #1 g(r)om, I've read in other places that the Saudi contingent is 100 planes, not 10. Is that a typo? |
| Posted by: AlanC 2015-03-26 13:46 |
| #11 And this is one of Obean's success stories. Good thing he didn't let it fail. |
| Posted by: gorb 2015-03-26 12:45 |
| #10 The Persians must really be butt hurt. Doubt there's a snowball's chance in hell they'll discontinue their WMD effort now. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2015-03-26 12:08 |
| #9 might want to secure the coastline from Iranian resupply and reinforcements |
| Posted by: Frank G 2015-03-26 11:32 |
| #8 The Hashemite Kingdom appears to have joined the Magic Kingdom in it's crusade. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2015-03-26 11:26 |
| #7 seized control of the strategic Bab El-Mandeb Straits to foil Tehran’s plans to grab this important energy shipping gateway From 3dc's link. What does mom-jeans do now? |
| Posted by: AlanC 2015-03-26 11:23 |
| #6 Don't you just marvel at the nuance and success of "smart diplomacy"? Any word from Jawn F'n Kerry? What would Hillary do? I pray that they all clobber each other and leave Israel the hell out of it. |
| Posted by: AlanC 2015-03-26 11:20 |
| #5 do these countries have any way to coordinate their air ops or is the US doing that? |
| Posted by: lord garth 2015-03-26 11:19 |
| #4 Egypt seizes Bab-el-Mandeb ahead of the Saudi airstrikes. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2015-03-26 11:17 |
| #3 I mean the Soodies |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2015-03-26 10:32 |
| #2 ...or more like someone's behind is leading. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2015-03-26 10:30 |
| #1 the kingdom had deployed 10 fighter jets to the operation, while the United Arab Emirates had committed 30, Bahrain and Kuwait 15 each and Qatar 10. Somebody is leading from behind here? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2015-03-26 10:28 |