>> gun battles as the battle for yemen's south intensifies. >> this is al jazeera live from london. also coming up, sudan's president cast his veto in an election boycott by the opposition party. and gunter grass dies at 87. >> in new newcastle australia a new way to harness sun's energy is used to make

electricity. >> first the to yemen where the saudi-led coalition has been intensifying strikes in the south of the country. the best way houthi rebels are advancing military planes have pounded the port city of aden including the presidential palace which is in houthi hands. opposition claims hitting targets where there has been heavy fighting on the ground there. tribesmen are getting involved. the concern about the houthi advance in southern areas and it's proximity to the red sea and the gulf of aden key shipping routes for oil. >> the tribes are still sending forces in ground offensives. but up until now we have not seen any action on the grouped. there have been in control for almost four days. >> fellow at the united services

institute. he says that airstrikes alone will not achieve the coalition's aims. >> it is not entirely clear who is fighting for whom right now and i'm sure that on the ground, too, there are factions that are not entirely clear who they're fighting against. because it's a very confused situation on the ground. some of these people are fight forgive survival. they're fighting for their own ground because we mouth forget this is not a two-horse race here. it is not houthies versus the rest. there are extremists, there are isis or i.s. forces, there are al-qaeda forces. and there are others who are just fighting to survive. al-qaeda draws its members from various tribes. usually people who are dis' effected from the tribes. but there are some tribes in support of al-qaeda, sometimes because they believe in al-qaeda. sometimes because it is the best option for them given the other options of that have been

arranged against. it is unclear to what extent these people are closely affiliated. the education is very confused not just for us as observers but also as far as we know on the ground it is it will remain that way until we get forces in. they want to avoid ground forces but they can't really make any meaningful change on the ground using air power alone. that is a lesson that the west has learned in just the last decade. the middle eastern forces are just beginning to confront those difficult choices. >> aid agencies supporting alarm of the humanitarian impact of the fighting. while it's tough to get exact numbers the u.n. estimates more

than 600 people have been killed since the airstrikes began. the violence has also driven an estimated 100,000 people from their homes. one of the pressing concerns is food shortages. before the airstrikes began 10 million faced difficulties obtaining food. the number has now gone up to 12 million. two planes from the red cross has now managed to land carrying 53 tons of itemser supplies. >> what is essential now is that an acute crisis that does evolve into a chronicle one. we have seen what has happened in syria in the fifth year of not only fighting but killing

including killing civilians. i think there is still a window of opportunity when fighting and killing in yemen could be stopped. is i think its important to have broad international support for secretary general's representative to the country it seemed that for certain points in time he was able to to work on some sort of compromises and arrangements. i think that it should be continued, and that should get proper backing from security council. >> we'll have more on yemen later in the program when they hold its daily briefing. we'll bring you that.

>> vote necessary sudan have been casting their ballots. they say that the vote is not free or fair. the election is expected to see president al bashir hold on to power for another term. but there has been a low turn out by voters in certain parts of the country. this is what the first day of voting in khartoum look like. for most of the day electoral clocks had little to do other than just wait. the highlight of this polling station was arrival of president omar al-bashir. some of those who turned out to vote said that it's the patriotic thing to do. >> i believe it's very important to vote. it unionfies people and helps to stabilize the country. >> other people would argue that it's still to early to gauge the voter turn out. there are three days of voting, and 11,000 polling stations and they say that khartoum does not represent the country.

most who are voting are the elderly. they have not seen many young people many who stopped to say the reason they're not vote something because they feel that their vote will not make a difference. the main opposition parties have just like in 2010 boycott the election and are telling people not to vote. it's not an election at all. if you insist on calling an election. it is a fake election. >> this journalist did not vote in 2010. he's not voting now. he said that a national dialogue needs to be held. but the government led by the national congress party will not allow freedom of speech. >> there is not a positive sign that something new will come after the election.

in sudan now we will know that there is no power or any other institution. and furthermore in the hand of the president himself. if you want to take the position he can take it. some of the people boycotting the election say that they do not want to legitimatize it by participating. main western countries have not sent observer teams. the dozens of other parties 15 presidential candidates running against bashir, but they are little known and many are saying they are no threat to the president. catherine soi al jazeera, khartoum. >> ten civilians have been killed by a car bomb in baghdad. according to a police officer the explosion happened in a market in the south of the city. another 28 people were wounded in the blast. meanwhile, sunni muslims living in diyala say now that the islamic state in iraq and the levant has been forced out of the area, they're living in

fear of reprice attacks. human rights groups accuse the shia of looting and kidnapping. >> reporter: this family lives in a carp on the outskirts of the city. their hometown was under isil ace control since june. but three months ago iraqi forces backed by shia militias recaptured it. they are sunni and think say that they're scared to return. >> we are afraid of the militias. we're afraid that they might kill us and our families. >> we don't have work way to defend ourselves. if they storm our home we would be dead just like those of the massacres. >> thousands of iranian fighters and government troops started a campaign to recapture the area from isil. but now at this hour is diyala

is on the border of iran and. the border was closed for 30 years. now it's wide open. many analysts feel that the victory over isil may have strengthened the shia fighters. >> after the liberation of diyala we witnessed the attacks on sunnies. this phenomenon is tearing apart the unity of the iraqi people. there is a sectarian and ethnic strife taking place in diyala. but the spokesman for the popular mobilization force say that his fighters are only. >> we interrupt the report to take you straight to the saudi-led coalition with its daily breathing.

let's listen in. >> targeting of the militias and people who are affiliated to them in yemen. in the previous there were quite the moving from place to another place in order to move some of the equipment from here to there. for the direction of aden. but we have targeted them, and we have prevented any support of the militias to aden. and yesterday i confirm to you that their movement, the movement of the houthis are quite difficult now because they needing to through the valleys and roads and this is an good indication that they're moving slowly now and they are now being targeted by the coalition war of planes. in decision to that, they are

also being confronted by the popular committers. that's why the movement of the houthis are very slow and very difficult at the same time. the coalition warplanes have contended their attacks we have mentioned that these militias and people affiliated to them through the yemeni army are being hit and we cannot make use of the ground. we're following up 24 24/7 when the warplanes attack them. and during the last 24 hours

these militias have used these schools, these hospitals and we have attacked in the city of aden. this pitch was full of the equipment of the houthis. also we have attacked a picture that is out of the control of the outies. this is a place to story weapons, and we have attacked this place at the same time. and also we need to stress that we are questioning the yemeni citizens and the situation now is very critical, and these

militias should not be able to make use of the pitchers than that's why we should not give them any chance to reorganization themselves or to reorganize their elements, and start their operations. during the last two days we were concentrating on the the locations of sanaa or saada. in addition in order to be as command centers and to store the weapons and to absorb the elements of the houthis and they were there and we have targeted these places and we can assure the tax.

the number is going to increase. the militias will never be allowed to stay longer. and we have been targeting them because they have targeted the citizens these are bad indicationed. it's an indication that we have to use because we know now that the we need to do everything. all the fronts are busy, and we're targeting all the infrastructure of the houthi militias. we're targeting them governing and targeting command centers and anything that would have the houthis they have also used the

centers with the military of service centers in order to be used as yemeni citizens. we charge these places and expect in the coming days to impose a lot of losses, and they will move slowly, slowly. they cannot move quickly any more because of the actions of the coalition forces. these are the areas heavily attacked yesterday in aden. we need to prevent them from moving towards aden. and we have stopped most of their movements we have targeted the command centers of aden

because they have used these command centers in order to assist and we need to prevent them from having any more assistance. this is the goal that we have achieved and the people in aden from the houthis have nothing to do other than surrendering to the authorities there. they have targeted, also, these conflicts around aden are being hit by our forces because they have been used by the houthis in the use of operations. also we have targeted in saada, as you know, it is the main source of operations for the houthis.

it was the equipment. yesterday, and today, we have noticed that display along the yemeni-saudi borders, we would unsure our borders would stay apart. yes, the yemeni citizen is being under stress in his every day life but let say that the father will be better, and the situation will be positive during the coming days. and would complete he's houthi militias. we feel responsibility towards the we then any citizens, and we need to stress that we've had the campaign to sport them and

to help them. that's why the military actions are ongoing and there are a lot of efforts being exerted now to organize the humanitarian support in aden or in sanaa or in every part of the yemeni territories. this is the goal, and we need to guarantee that every assistance goes to the yemenis who are in need. the red cross and have also played a role, a big role, and some of them have made efforts in isefforts in sanaa increasing medical services given to yemeni citizens. these are some of the operations carried out today. as i said, we target all the

governing of these houthi militias and all the places where they used to store the weapons, hospitals schools and we need to stress that these militias have no ethics, if i could say. they could sacrifice the yemeni citizen for the interest of their benefits but they will never have in yemen. this is our word now.

>> this is the communication center and station that has been targeted yesterday. when it comes to grouped operations let me say again that everything is tabled on the borders and from time to time you can find some squirm michigans or whatever towards the centers on the boulders, on top of these teal with each case separately and the ground forces are doing their jobs. the forces are quite keen not to hit these places.

but we have some trade on the groups of there, and we are quite keen not to hit civilians. let me say that all ships coming to or going out the yemeni borders are in our control and evaluation operations are on going, and there is a committee formed for this purpose. also the humanitarian operations are on going in this place and the negotiations would be better and we would achieve more positive goals as planned with the help of allah, all

nighty. it is time to request ask question if you have any. >> the houthi militias they have lost their patrol in so many places. so did they try to create problems with the kingdom of saudi arabia. >> yes they're there since the early hours of the military campaign, and we all know that these militias use media in order to support this situation. and i have said before that the media outlets related to the houthies say they have achieved

this. we have achieved that on the saudi borders and they have gone to the extent that they have the villages on the borders. this is not correct at all, and tomorrow they will see themselves what is the situation there, and in order to know that they are lying because they are under pressure. the houthi political shahs militias are under pressure by the warplanes of saudi and in the surrounding area. they're trying as much as they can to minimize the losses but in vain. they are in despair. they have achieved nothing. and our forces on the borders are quiet ready for that, and they would never allow anyone to go into the borders of the king

of saudi arabia. >> just a reminder we've been watching and briefing from the coalition in riyadh. it's been carrying out airstrikes in yemen. there they are claiming that the movement of the houthis is apparently difficult now and very slow as a result of the affect of these airstrikes. and they continue to target their infrastructure and also their gatherings as things like weapon stores and command centers that they've been using as part of the military infrastructure as some of the commanders there have are going to the houthi rebels. that's part of the strategy here with the saudi airstrikes. to turn some of these commanders back to rejoin the president hadi. they're claiming to have cut off supply lines in aden, and he pointed out that they were quite keen not to hit civilians. let's bring in george reading security analyst for sterling asset. they were saying there that they have some how limited the movement and supply lines for the houthis.

how effective would you say that these airstrikes have been so far? >> the big picture so far is that the houthis still maintain control large parts of yemen. the real question is about hayden. aid someone a real threat. if they can irradicate and control aid i don't know fully then they can say to the international community look, we have control the country and president hadi is of relevance and we need to have to reflect our position and give loyalists far greater influence in the country. >> part of the aim here in the use of the pictures is degrading the military stores and equipment and ammunition centers, but isn't that part that have, if you then say to the commanders, you support the

houthis, we won't need to turn around and support hadi, then they won't have much letter to work with. or is is that not a problem? >> they're working from two directions. the first is to degrade the houthi capability where this see it no longer in their you their interest to pursue the military goal. the second is to demilitarize saleh and make him consider some sort of deal. >> how much can their war achieve in a place like yemen? what would the obstacles be if you had to change it to something else on the ground war or something like that? >> the airstrikes have achieved only a limited amount. they have restricted the houthi advances and enabled forces to push back in some areas. in terms of where it goes from there the issue is that a ground opposition is difficult in terms

of practicals for saudi arabia to advance into yemen it would have to immediately enter into the strongest areas for the houthis. they would risk being encircled. they don't want to be fighting the houthis and the others at the same time. >> at the moment what do you think their strategy will be next? do you think they'll continue for some time in that is airstrikes? are the houthis prevented from taking control of aden. if they lose patience with this strategy or if they present more of a threat taking control of it, then we might be stepping it up to greater naval operations and barges from the sea, and intense airstrikes.

after that, if that doesn't work then we're looking at a risk of a ground operation. >> just briefly in the past people who had gone into yemen have gotten into trouble. >> in 2009 they fought a border conflict with the houthis and they had difficulty there and the houthies would take control of parts of saudi arabia. that is a risk they want to avoid. and they also don't want to be involved in a guerrilla warfare against the haughties. that's the type of conflict that they're trained for. >> thank you very much, indeed. we appreciate you coming. thank you. and just a remember you can keep up to date any time and find analysis on our website. if you want to, you can always catch up on all the sport that's on there. also if you want to catch up on

live, you can watch us by choosing the "watch live" icon. our top story the civilians who have been hit in the crisis in yemen. more details in a half hour after these headlines. >> convicted of cheating on student tests. now ten public school teach necessary atlanta are in a courtroom facing decades of jail time. a. police camera captures the shooting of an african-american man by a police security. the police are calling it a mistake but the family wants answers. and