hello, everyone. thanks for staying with us. i'm errol barnett. >> i'm rosemary church. >> we're following breaking news this hour. the campus of garissa university

is under attack. we've gotten new video of the scene in the past few minutes. witnesses telling cnn that gunmen wearing military uniform burst into the campus around 5:30 in the morning and then opened fire. a reporter with our affiliate, ntv, says there are between six and ten gunmen engaged in a fire-fight with police and military forces there. >> this is ongoing. and so far, we know the red cross tweeted that at least 30 people have been taken to the hospital with injuries. four are serious. they say the majority of the casualties suffered gunshot wounds. >> the u.s. embassy in nairobi has responded to the attack with a tweet. you see it on the screens here. >> i'll read it to you -- "we are sadden and angered by the terrorist attack at garissa university. our deepest condolences to family and friends of the victims. #cowardsneverwin." all right. we want to turn to cnn's

reporter live from nairobi, kenya, where she is monitoring this situation. so what all do we know at this point? >> reporter: as you rightly put it, so far we know that at least eight people have been confirmed dead. and according to reports from the ground, two of them are the guards who were at the main gate when the gunmen in and started by shooting one of the guards at the main gate and another soon after. we know that the joint forces are still on the ground. so far there is a report that the attackers have been cornered into one of the dormitories. the police are still struggling to flush them out. when they initially attacked at 5:30 in the morning, the police were able to fight them off briefly, and they were able to retreat. then again, they regrouped, gained control, and were able to intercept the hotels.

the fight is going on, and joint forces are struggling to flush the attackers out. >> let's go over that because that's a first we've been hearing, first we've put to air that eight people are confirmed dead. what details are authority giving you? are we talking about, we understand as you mentioned there, two of those are security guards. but what else are authorities saying about those confirmed dead? >> reporter: the authority is being very, very protective about the information on the ground, the area has been completely cordoned off. media is having a really difficult time accessing much information other than from people coming out. most are in shock. we're heavily relying on red cross who are in close proximity in the action. and we have yet to confirm that people have been killed other than the two security guards in the initial hours of the attack. however, the others cannot confirm. there are reports that two policemen were seriously

injured. whether that's security forces, personnel or the administration police are yet to confirm. two security forces, officials were injured critically and also have been rushed to the hospital. there are eight. only two confirmed to be security guards. the rest are yet to be confirmed. >> the other point that you raised which certainly took us -- our attention, attackers cornered, you said. so can we understand that this is possibly coming to some sort of conclusion? and are we talking about the six to ten attackers that earlier reports suggested? >> reporter: indeed we are hoping that this situation is coming to an end. it's been over four hours now, and just before this bulletin, we were hearing that gunshots could still be heard from the people who were around the area. we're hoping that the situation

is coming to a close. however, if you remember, the westgate attack, it started like this. and a few hours later, the police claimed to be in control. and the situation went on for days. so we are hoping the situation will be different. garissa has been pumped one security, even though there's been imminent attack. there's been a lot of security this and other areas in kenya. we're hoping that they're able to foil the situation soon. there's a lot of hope had the police had control, but this went on for days. we're hoping. people are taking to social media, facebook and twitter and discussing what could have happened, what could have been done, what can be done better, what can we do in future to prevent this as opposed to reacting to what is already a bad situation. that is the way forward. people seem to be discussing the

way forward as opposed to the situation on the ground. there's little coming out of the attacker situation in garissa. >> it is a horrifying situation for anyone who has a loved one there on campus. we understand there are 500 students or so. do we know how many students got off the campus, how many are still on the campus? are authorities giving any indication on those sorts of numbers? it's quite early in the morning, 5:30. there were reports that some students came home -- around 300 students may have been in the sdooel moment. some had gone to morning prayers, especially the muslim. there are students who eyewitnesses report that student were unable to get away as the attacks started. unfortunately for those who were running, there were advantage points and were able to shoot at

those running across. police are not giving much about the whole situation if at all. but a lot of the students according to the eyewitnesses were able to escape. there are teachers here and students still in the compound as we speak. >> thank you for joining us from nairobi, kenya. we learned new information here according to the report. eight people have been confirmed dead. in that toll, sadly two were the security guards. one of them at the gate. another on the campus. we understand the two policemen are seriously injured. at this point we understand that the attackers are perhaps cornered somewhere in that campus on, that campus. this perhaps signaling it may be coming to some conclusion.

we don't know at this point but know that according to kenya's red cross 30 people so far have been taken to hospital, and four of them are in serious condition. mostly we're talking about gunshot wounds. >> want to bring in ntv correspondent citizen is zakari from nairobi, tracking new information being made available. we know that this is still ongoing. do you have any information as to the safety of the students on campus and if they might or a few students might be caught up with the gunmen during this shoot-out with police and the military? >> reporter: what we know so far and what we're depending on heavily is information coming from the military officers that are sticking to. at the moment, the cabinet secretary is around the university compounds together with the inspector general of

police. they arrived one hour ago. they arrived at the university. but what we do know so far is that some were evacuated early in the morning with gunshot wounds to the garissa general hospital. [ inaudible ] what we do know so far is that the gunmen have been cornered. we can't confirm how many they are, whether they're in one particular area. just like westgate, we actually had some of the incident in one particular area. we have major facility around the town that have been locked down. it could be other secondary attacks. police are taking precautions on this but trying to prevent further attacks. the area is predominantly

inhabited. and unfortunately for many people who have been here for the attacks in gris athey say this -- this holds a sentimental value to people around the area, the particular area. and there are people saying that this is just a sad moment for garissa because they did not expect gunmen to enter an institution of higher learning and attack students indiscriminately. >> it's an incredibly frightening situation to watch unfold. as you mentioned this being a predominantly sunni area, what you said. this increases the suspicion that perhaps it's al shabaab militants behind this. they have been known to attack many targets in the country in respond to military actions across the border in somalia.

we'll wait to see who claims responsibility. how are kenyans reacting in the wake of the west great attack when divisions of the police and military were blamed for such a high injury and death count? we're almost five hours into this attack now, and it seems to not have been contained yet. surely people are watching with concern. >> reporter: people are angry. on social media, kenyans are talking about this and saying we saw this coming. we've this h this before, and especially in this particular area. this is the northern part of the country, largely ignored for many years in terms of security deployment. and the governor of that particular area says that the government needs to deploy more security forces. but that only happens for a day or two.

garissa -- the security detail around the area, the military is far from the place where the attack happened. they're saying hold on, we saw this coming. why is it taking five hours into the attack, not so much coming out in terms of the official statement. the only thing they're getting is the number of agents taken to the hospital. that's largely coming from the kenya red cross. we are still trying to assert the situation and trying to get to the bottom of it and understand how many students are still there. how many have been rescued. trying to get details of the numbers of those rescued. of course, again, we have so many statements coming from different government institutions. we have yet to find out the exact number of gunmen --

>> all right, dennis -- >> reporter: those killed in this attack. >> thank you very much, ntv correspondent joining us from nairobi on the line. saying that there is some confusion. there's a lot of anger among kenyans seeing what they believe is once again innocent people left vulnerable by security forces. and if we just pull up a map of this university, you've been seeing some of the emergency vehicle there rushing to and from the scene. you see it's quite a large space, and it's still a fluid situation right now, rosemary. dennis saying that perhaps the gunmen are trapped or cornered in one dormitory. there is the potential and possibility that the gunmen have spread themselves out, and there may be attacks in other areas. in the wake of the westgate attack when we saw so many casualties such horror, kenyans will be watching with anger and concern wondering how something like it can happen again. >> cnn's reporter told us the same thing. the sense that the gunmen have

been cornered in some way. hopefully this means there their is drawing to some conclusion. she was telling us eight people are confirmed dead, and we understand two were security guards. we don't have details on the other casualties and understand, too, that two policemen are seriously injured. kenya red cross has told us already that 30 people were taken to hospital. four of those in serious condition. we're talking about gunshot wounds for the most part here. we will continue to follow this story, this breaking news story at the college. horrifying to think of young people so vulnerable and not enough security there. and this will be a talking point for sure in the aftermath of this as we try to sort through these details coming in. we'll take a short break. there's a lot of other news going on. we want to cover the iran talks. negotiators are not giving up.

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military uniforms burst on to the campus of garissa university before dawn and opened fire. kenyan police and military are on the scene looking for those gunmen. we're told between six and ten attackers. we have heard they may be cornered at this point. we don't know for sure. this is the difficulty in a live breaking situation like this. garissa is in eastern kenya, not far from the woerdser with somalia. that's why so many are talking in terms of this perhaps being al shabaab. that has not been confirmed. they have not claimed responsibility at this point. >> we will look for new information over this next hour and bring you everything as we learn it. we want to turn to talks to iran's nuclear program, set to resume in a few hours. the u.s. secretary of state, iran's foreign minister, and the european union diplomat met overnight into the early morning hours thursday. one u.s. official says some serious issues remain

unresolved. >> the ultimate goal is to reach an agreement to lift sanctions in exchange for preventing tehran from developing a nuclear bomb. iran's foreign minister and the white house both commented on the discussions. >> this is a unique opportunity that will not be repeated, and they need to take advantage of the opportunity. >> if we are in a situation where we sense that the talks have stalled, yes, the united states and the international community is prepared to walk away. >> we have reporters tracking these developments. orrin lieberman will have reaction from israel. first let's cross to our matthew chance in moscow. russia's foreign minister sergei lavrov left there week saying he would only return if there was a serious chance of a deal. he did, but we still haven't seen anything formalize yet. what's being set this morning?

>> reporter: lavrov left the talks and is on a preplanned visit to tajikistan where he will meet his tajik counterparts. the russian foreign minister not going back to talks unless there's serious chance of a final agreement. he ended his last visit on a positive note saying that a framework agreement has essentially been agreed between the foreign ministers and is waiting for it to be set down on paper. from a russian point of view at least officially, the nuts and bolts of this agreement to prevent iran from continuing with its uranium enrichment program is essential oh the table. it's just as always the detail which appears to be preventing the two sides from coming together and putting this down on paper. the two main -- some the main sticking points include the pace at which sanctions should be lifted. iran has crippled its economy as a result of of the u.n., e.u.,

and u.s. sanctions that have been posted. it because of its natural program. want the sanctions lifted as soon as possible. the united states has to sell this deal to a very skeptical congress. he doesn't want to seem to be rewarding iran too soon. wants the pace of sanction relief to be slower. there are other outstanding issues. one of the issues russia is hard on is the issue of a snap-back if iran does not comply with obligations in any deal. one of the things the united states and other western countries are arguing for is that u.n. sanctions wig triggered automatically and placed back on iran. that's something the russians are resisting strongly. they want any sanctions to have to come from a new united nations security council resolution where shea have a veto. that's another obstacle. it's complex. it's not just between two sides talking. the iranians on the side and p5+1 on the other.

there are disagreements as to the best way forward. >> fascinating to watch how difficult this has been to get to a framework. and we have to remind our viewers this is a prelude to what potentially could be a final deal june 30th. matthew chance giving us the perspective from moscow. thanks. of course, israel has steadfastly opposed the emerging deal and has suggested the u.s. could be threatened, as well. orrin lieberman joins us now from jerusalem with more on that. so orrin, syria's -- serious issues remain. if a preliminary draft agreement is reached, what's the likely reaction going to be from israel, and what has been the reaction so far? >> reporter: netanyahu has been pushing against this deal from the beginning. he's made statements every day this week. he has nothing on his agendas yet today. but from sunday through yesterday he's pushed against the deal. he's realized at this point he can't prevent or stop a deal.

yet he's been following developments closely. he's had this week high-profile opportunities because of congressional republicans here in israel that's given him the opportunity once again to speak again the deal. here's what he had to say yesterday when house speaker boehner was in town. >> the concessions offered to iran and luzan would ensure a bad deal that would endanger israel, the middle east and peace of the world. now is the time for international community to insist on a better deal. >> reporter: a better deal, what netanyahu's saying a lot these past few days and weeks. he realizes he can't stop or push a deal and is pushing specific points including he wants to limit iran's nuclear infrastructure. we've heard him talk about the center of centrifuges, advanced research, underground capabilities. he's talking about specific point. he wants to in any way he can, in any influence on deals, and

that remains a question, he's pushing against points on the deal trying to make sure they are as limiting to iran as possible. he's had here his strongest counterparts on the american side which would be house speaker john boehner, here yesterday, leaving early this morning. senator mitch mcconnell here this week. he's trying to use whatever hidden influence from the american side to push against this deal. if there is a deal, and again we'll see what comes out of switzerland, but if there is a deal we expect him to keep pushing against specific points on the deal as we get toward that june deadline. we'll keep you posted. netanyahu has been against the deal from the beginning. that certainly hasn't changed. >> we are of course watching this very closely. orrin lieberman reporting live from jerusalem. matthew chance in moscow, many thanks. still to come on "cnn newsroom," an explosion kills more than two dozen workers at a dairy farm in yemen. one of the deadliest attacks since the saudi-led military operation began.

plus, hundreds of people in a small town in germany stood in the rain to remember those who perished on flight 9525.

updating our top story, the deadly attack on a university in kenya. the red cross says 30 people are wounded, four seriously. the interior ministry confirming there have been two deaths.

witnesses say gunmen in military uniforms burst on to the campus of garissa university before dawn and opened fire. kenyan police and military are on the scene looking for those gunmen. we are told between six and ten attackers are there, and we have heard perhaps they have been cornered. we haven't heard a confirmation from authorities on that. that is the word so far. garissa is in eastern kenya not far from the border with somalia. >> we'll bring you new developments on that as they are made available. now to germany where some people say they've lost faith in lufthansa after conflicting accounts of what the airline knew about the co-pilot's history of mental health issues. >> people were gathered wednesday for a memorial service in a small town where 18 of the crash victims lived. will ripley is there. [ bell ] >> reporter: this of supposed to be one of the happiest times of the year.

a time for students to share stories from their class trip to spain. 16 students and two teachers never made it home. each name read out loud at this memorial. one week after flight 9525 crashed in the french alps. >> it's really terrible. it was an awful week for this little town. >> reporter: so many filled this church. hundreds stood in the streets, braving wind, rain, and sleet to share grief, to say good-bye. each person leaves behind a family. >> i'm a mom from two children, and i feel as a parent. >> reporter: 18 black balloons rise above the town square.

one for each life cut short. just 38,000 people live here, and losing 18 including 16 bright young students is perspectivesy painful for a community like this. the mayor calls it the darkest day in his city's history. "we're shocked and sad," says this long-time resident. "we're trying to understand how he could take our young people with him and why he was allowed to get in the cockpit and fly." her grief mixed with anger. anger at the colt ceo pilot who took 149 lives along with his own. anger at the airline that allowed them to fly. "we cannot believe lufthansa anymore," she says. "at first they said they didn't know anything. now comes out they did know." >> we are learning more -- >> reporter: many here are still reeling from a stunning admission by lufthansa's ceo who at moisture claimed his airline knew nothing of andreas lubitz' psychological problems saying he was 100% fit to fly.

now he's backtracking, admitting lufthansa had records of lubitz' severe depression going back six years. records the airline shared with prosecutors. lufthansa is calling it a swift and seamless clarification. the ceo is responsible for his crews, he says. he has to tell the truth. he wonders why only now do two people have to be in the cockpit at all times. why did this have to happen? hovering over the church, the contrail from a passing plane, a chilling reminder of the flight full of students, students who never came home. will ripley, cnn, germany.

you are watching "cnn newsroom." i'm errol barnett. >> i'm rosemary church. we want to bring you up to date on stories we are following now. this breaking news story. two people dead and at least 30 wounded in an ongoing attack at a university campus in kenya. witnesses say men in uniforms opened fire while most students were asleep. no word on who's responsible. talks on rushing iran's nuclear program is set to resume in a few hours in switzerland. negotiators pushed past the tuesday deadline for a framework agreement and worked into the night tuesday. serious issues remain unresolved. a top investigator for germanwings says gathering evidence that the crash site is emotionally very difficult. recovery crews are still looking

for the plane's flight data recorder more than one week after it crashed in the french alps killing everyone on board. iraq says it's pushed isis militants out of tikrit. the prime minister was there to mark the victory which came with significant help from shia militias. now officials are concerned that some shia fighters could attack the sunni population. let's get more breaking news out of kenya where gunmen have launched an attack on a university in eastern parts of the country. let's bring in our reporter live from nairobiy to talk about what still is a developing situation. earlier you told us that the joint forces, the kenyan military and police were there on campus. update us on the status of that fight with the gunmen and students who might still be caught in the middle. >> reporter: according to eyewitnesses on the ground, social pages and local

facilities and the media houses, the siege is still ongoing, police are still on the ground. the area is completely cordoned off making it difficult for media, for other personnel who are concerned or interested in the situation to gather any information. and according to this on the ground, only the red cross and police officials are allowed in the area. and it's still ongoing. however, according to a few people who i spoke to earlier on, the gunfight is dying down. we're hoping that the situation is coming to a close. the area is cordoned off. the number of victims has to be confirmed. at least 14 were critically injured and rushed to the garissa hospital in critical condition. gunshot wound most of them. however, two people confirmed dead. there are reports that there could be more, at least eight people according to those on the ground, according to some local media. they're saying that the death toll has risen. this is yet to be confirmed by the red cross or by the police. >> as you speak, we're bringing

to viewers new video that we're get information to cnn from garissa showing what appear to be a military or official vehicles coming to and from the university. considering it is developing and we don't know exactly what's happening, broaden out for us a larger picture of security in the country in the wake of that horrific westgate attack not long ago. kenyans are furious with the government and inability to really protect people. and there were televisions -- divisions and lack of communication between military and police at that time. what can you tell us about how shocked kenyans are to watch this unfold? >> reporter: the situation started years ago after kenya sent their forces to somalia. al shabaab vowed revenge. there have been a spate of violent attacks in kenya including the westgate mall attack recently.

garissa is on the border of somalia and kenya and what people describe as a porous border. 150 kilometer from somalia's border. about 380 kilometers from nairobi. and you can see the close proximity. there has been a lot of talk sense westgate and how security forces need to talk together, need collaborate, there was a lot of confusion in westgate who should be in charge, who's watching what. according to this on the ground and according to people who have been interviewed and there are quite a few with proper information, saying the situation is being dealt with better. you can remember according to a few media houses during the westgate mall attack and other attacks, there have been claims that attackers have been able to escape pretending to be victims. this time the students or victims coming out are being recorded, their names, being registered, being interviewed before they are released.

the situation, according to a few people, being held better. there are reports there was an eminent attack that is going to happen in a university in kenya. this as people were complained wasn't handled well. there were security forces deployed in some universities, but garissa being known to be one of the holt spots when al -- hot spots when al shabaab happened, recently even had a teachers tribe. some teachers reluctant or didn't want to go back to garissa schools saying the situation of security there is not very good. so according to people in garissa, the border towns of kenya, they're complaining that the security forces are not handling the situation as they should be. otherwise this could have been easily foiled. recently the security forces in kenya were able to foil an attack in nairobi just by information from intelligence. they're saying the connection

between intelligence and security forces and those on the ground is disconnected and has been for years since al shabaab vowed to retaliate onenya. >> fantastic context there from nairobi, detailing that this type of attack was expected. there was an alert sent out. and there have been improvements in the way that the military and security apparatus respond in anticipation of these things. what we appear to be witnessing is something that fell through the cracks. we don't know that al shabaab claimed responsibility. certainly they were the prime suspects. we will continue to gather information and bring it to you as it's made available. thank you very much. this is horrifying. talking about young students so vulnerable. they had security guards. we understand they are possibly among the casualties there. what we did hear, there was a positive note there from season when he she said the gunfire started to die down. we've heard reports of the

attackers possibly being cornered in some way. there is the hope that this may draw to some conclusion. we don't know at this point. we'll ton follow details. we'll take a short break. ahead, an important win for the iraqi military. isis militants retreat from the city of tikrit. the dangers are far from over. if your purse is starting to look more like a tissue box... you may be muddling through allergies. try zyrtec® for powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin®. because it starts working faster on the first day you take it. zyrtec®. muddle no more™ .

updating you on our top

story. it is still developing. officials say two people are dead in an attack on a university in kenya. the red cross says 30 people were wounded and four of them seriously. >> witnesses say military burst into the campus of the university before dawn and opened fire. kenyan police and military on the scene looking for those gunmen. we are told between six and ten attacker are there. and we have heard they may be cornered. also we heard there from our reporter in nairobi that there's a possibility that gunfire has reduced. it may be coming to some closure. garissa is in eastern kenya not far from the border with somalia. no word yet on what is responsible. on to another story we're following. iraq says its forces have finally swept isis out of tikrit. the prime minister led the celebration in the city that's been held by sunni militant for

a year. we have more live from baghdad. she joins us now. let's talk about this. it's not over yet, is it? there are small pocket of resistance there. that is the big concern. at what point do they think that some sense of normalcy will be returned? and how many people are we talking about in these pockets of resistance? can the iraqi forces overcome those pockets and move forward? >> reporter: according to what we heard yesterday from the interior minister during a visit to tikrit, they were saying they hoped to take over these areas, that they hoped to clear and be done with military operations and clearing operations in these pockets as they describe them within hours as we heard yesterday. as we saw from our team that was on the ground in tikrit, arwa

damon and her team. the challenges are very big with these explosives planted around the city, in buildings there. so this is a major challenge for them. before they are able to restore normalcy, declare this over and call on residents who have cleared the city, they have to make sure there are no remnants of the explosives left by isis there in the city. one major challenge really, rosemary, here is going to be what happens next. yes, this "liberation" of tikrit is a major victory for the iraqi forces. a critical phase comes up next. who holds tikrit now. a sensitive situation. that entered the city are predominantly shia forces, where that be the security forces or fighting force there. the iranian backed shia

militias. as we know, tikrit is a majority sunni city. there are sensitivities when it comes to the sectarian dynamic and the concerns about how this is going to play out. there have been concerns about reprisal attacks that might take place there. as the dust settle was the battle then the iraqi government and the organizations will be able to assess any sort of violations and how the troops acted when they endtered the city. very important who is going to hold the ground, who goes in next, what happens. we've heard sunni politicians here call in for -- for local forces from the cities themselves to be holding the ground in these liberated areas after the iraqi security forces. and these popular mobilization units including volunteers and shia militias recapture these towns. if these forces remain in this town, there's of course the risk

of tensions running high between them. as we know this is what was in the past said to have created that fertile ground to isis to exploit here in iraq. the sectarian tensions between the security forces, the militias, and sunni populations in places like tikrit allowing isis to gain foothold and take control of towns and cities of tikrit. >> of course there's no doubt here. this is a major blow to isis. when we're talking about these pockets of resistance, we're talking about booby traps, they are a long way from bringing in any form of government and moving forward. the big question, too, is can they hold on to tikrit? >> reporter: well, as you mentioned, these are the major challenges. yes, it has been described as a great accomplishment and achievement for security forces and those popular mobilization

unit to recapture a major city. the first major offensive that the iraqis launched, and took a month with support in the final week of u.s. air strikes, coalition air strikes that allowed them tofiably push into the city and declare this liberation. of course what comes next, rosemary, as you mentioned, the challenge. who is going to hold the ground, will they be able to -- of course if we look at the history of extremist groups in this country, whether it is isis or its predecessor, al qaeda in iraq, these groups are highly adaptable. they're very capable. and one loss doesn't mean a defeat. >> all right. we have lost our reporter live from baghdad. certainly we've got the sense of celebration on the ground as major blow to isis. still, challenges, there are baby troops across tikrit. there are pockets of resistance. and of course they have to hold

on to tikrit so they can move in. bring in some sense of normalcy. >> we'll be back with an update on breaking news out of kenya after this. stay with us.

welcome back, everyone. we want to update you on our top story. breaking news, officials say two people are dead in an ongoing attack on a university campus in

kenya. the red cross says 30 people are wounded, four of them seriously. >> witnesses say gunmen in military uniforms burst into the campus on garissa university before dawn and opened fire. police and soldiers are on the scene now looking for the gunmen. we're told they're between 10 -- six and ten of them. we've heard they may be cornered, as well. garissa's in eastern kenya not far from the border with somalia. no word yet on who's responsible, but al shabaab is suspected. >> we'll bring you more details. moving to another story now. to one of the deadliest attacks in yemen since the saudi-led military operation began. an explosion killed more than two dozen workers at a dairy in the port city. >> there are conflicting accounts about well it was an air strike or rocket fired from a nearby army base. saudi arabia and its sunni allies have been bombing houthi rebel targets for a week. they're trying to end the insurgency by the iranian backed

rebels. with more on this developing story, let's turn to ian lee, joining us live from cairo, egypt. ian, outside of the civilian casualties that we mentioned, the houthi rebels have been trying to take aden. a massive blow to the saudi air strike campaign. it would prove at that air power alone won't be enough to defeat the militants if in fact they're able to take the country's second largest city. what is the status of aden? >> reporter: the whole point of the saudi-led koilgz is to degrade and -- coalition is to degrade and destroy the houthi rebels' military war-making capabilities. the goal is to push them back to their territory and push them out of aden, the battle currently taking place. we're hearing mixed reports about what is happening on the ground from eyewitnesses. we're hearing that the houthis are still continuing their advance. we're hearing from chairmen of a militia group that is loyal, fighting on the side of

president hadi that they are able to push them back and that aden is safe and secure. talking to some yemeni officials yesterday, they're telling us, painting a different picture of the city, saying there's heavy street fighting taking place, casualties all over the city. the one thing they're in need of in the city is not so much these air strikes, these air strikes are helping. but they say they're outgunned. they need better weapons, heavier weapons, they say the houthis who are pounding down on the city have the artillery, the means to take that city and keep kooep pushing in. they say that's the most crucial thing they need right now to make sure that city does not fall into the houthis' hands. >> and in our final minute here, you know, unicef tells us more children have been killed in the past week than have been killed in the past year of violence in yemen. what's saudi arabia saying about the civilian casualties?

>> reporter: saudi arabia is saying that they're trying to avoid civilian casualties. they've also mentioned corridors for civilians to take. over 60 children have been killed in the fighting. there was also an air strike on a refugee camp that killed over 20 people there. human rights watch has expressed concern about this. they're worried that this will set some sort of precedent. that this could -- we could see more of these actions as this war progresses. they also have wondered if there have been any war crime violations on that hit on the camp. there's a lot of concern about the safety of civilians in yemen from the international community, wondering where these people will go as this fighting intensifies. >> yeah, we don't have anywhere to go -- they don't have anywhere to go and need to be protected. ian lee live from cairo with the latest information coming out of yemen. thank you very much. thanks for joining us, everyone. you have been watching "cnn

newsroom." i'm rosemary church. >> i'm errol barnett. our coverage of breaking news out of kenya continues. "early start" is next. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com just about anywhere you can use splenda®... ...no calorie sweetener. splenda® lets you experience... ...the joy of sugar... ...without all the calories. think sugar, say splenda®

breaking news this morning, gunmen storming a university in kenya. at least 30 injured. gunshots going off like fireworks. we are live. welcome to "early start." i'm christine romans. it is thursday, april 2nd. we welcome all of of our viewers. we start with breaking news. gunmen attacking a university in southeastern kenya. 30 people wounded at garissa university college. this is according to the kenya red cross. the u.s. embassy says hostages