Saudi-led coalition pounds Yemen for third consecutive day

Saudi-led coalition pounds Yemen for third consecutive day
The Yemeni capital suffered yet another day of bombings on Thursday, as Saudi-led coalition warplanes continued to pound suspected Houthi military positions for the third day in a row.
2 min read
11 August, 2016
Dozens have been killed in the relentless airstrikes [AFP]
Dozens have been killed in three consecutive days of Saudi-led coalition air raids, as warplanes continued to bombard several positions in Yemen on Thursday.

Coalition jets hit al-Dailami airbase near Sanaa airport as well as a military school in the capital on Thursday morning after two days of airstrikes, local media reported.

Despite several civilian homes being struck, the coalition-backed government insists the raids only targeted Houthi-military positions, including a number of targets in Saada.

On Thursday, a woman was killed and seven others injured when Houthi shelling crossed the border into neighbouring Saudi Arabia, the kingdom's civil defence said.

Clashes between the Houthi rebels and government-backed forces also erupted in Nihm on Wednesday, leaving 22 fighters dead.

At least 14 people were killed on Tuesday, when coalition airstrikes hit a factory in Sanaa, forcing authorities to ground flights and close the capital’s airport.

The raids were the first to be felt in Yemen since the implementation of a ceasefire designed to pave way for the UN-brokered peace talks between the warring factions.

But the negotiations came to a halt last week after the rebels rejected a UN proposed peace plan before establishing a "supreme political council" to run the country.

The UN says that more than 6,400 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Yemen since the coalition air campaign began last March.

The fighting has also driven 2.8 million people from their homes and left more than 80 percent of the population needing humanitarian aid.