the players include forces loyal to president adou rabbo mansour hadi and various tribes. the saudi foreign minister says regaining control of yemen won't come easily, but the region stability dependency on it. the saudis are building international support for their mill at her intervention. foreigners trapped in yemen of desperate to leave. citizens left for djibouti aboard this indian naval ship last night. for all those who remain, there are growing concerns of a humanitarian crisis and no sign of a ceasefire anytime soon. >> crossing over to sanna the editor of the yemen post joins us. what can you tell us about reports that there were troops disembarking ships at a port in aden? >> as of now that's not confirmed. numerous officials in aden, and we are not able to confirm that detail first reported by reuters. the houthis are in control of areas very close to the port of aden and they do have at least 40 snipers who are stationed atop mountain tops near the areas of the port, so that was the case, they would be easy targets for the houthis. this is one of the main reas

. >> a military commander and 150,000 of his troops have thrown their support behind adou rabbo mansour hadi. some of the most intense battles are at the air base held by houthi rebels. the u.s. which operated the base pulled out last month. the u.n. said 731 people have been killed sings the bombardment began, more than half civilians. three government hospitals are overrun with injured. >> these are just some of the victims of war in what's become an increasingly desperate situation in aden. most injured are civilians including children. >> i'm injured, but still, thank god. i've already had two operations. i'm still waiting for another one. >> there's a massive shortage of food, water and medical supplies despite aid. a lot of people have left the city to escape the airstrikes and fighting. the saudi-led coalition is targeting houthi positions. the exiled government has allowed saudi arabia to take control of some air space and territorial waters to get aid in. only three government hospitals are open to treat the injured in aden. hospital beds are full. it's difficult to reach some of th

yemen's president adou rabbo mansour hadi has sat three of his top military officers including the head of the special forces. he has asked for help, which could include troops. we have more on the latest fighting. >> a huge crowd pores over a sea of mangled steel in sanna. this is no longer a search for survivors. this is body recovery. for the most part, the work is all by hand. the saudi-led coalition said it targets areas controlled by the houthis and that rebel fighters are now hiding amongst civilians. it's further south in aden that the heaviest fighting is now taking place. houthi rebels along with fighters loyal to former president ali abdullah saleh are infiltrating districts near the city's port. aden is the last strong hold of fighters loyal to president adou rabbo mansour hadi, and they're putting up a fierce fight. the city has become a battleground and locals are caught in the middle. >> people have become trapped in their homes because of fighting. there is bodies in the streets. we cannot get close because there are houthi snipers on roof took place. anything that gets

i heard you reporting earlier that it was a stronghold for president adou rabbo mansour hadi. they are not backing hadi, their taking support from the saudis because they want to fight the who it is, bethey are hard line secessionists in many cases. we're seeing the saudis begrudgingly getting in contact and arm a number of groups in the south to fight the houthis but most of these people are fighting with the aim of getting rid of the houthis and secondly declaring independence for the south. what we're seeing really is support in the south for the what the saudis are doing but eventually going independent and a growing anti saudi sentiment does not make for a very pretty picture in the next weeks and months. >> we'll move on. i guess there's a question here, will the mounting civilian casualties receive criticism of the houthi shelling of civilian areas, we've seen human rights criticize the airstrikes as in its words being disproportionate and contributing to civilian casualties. will the rising civilian casualties increase u.n. intervention? >> we heard debate over what sho

commander in yemen and 15,000 of his troops throw support behind the president as troops loyal to adou rabbo mansour hadi retake his home in aden from houthi fighters. >> 90,000 people flee fighting in iraq. the government won't let some into their own capitol city. >> i'm inside france's newest museum a monument to cave art 36,000 years old. >> as many as 700 people are feared dead in the mediterranean sea after their boat capsized. it's thought it went down about 120 kilometers off the coast of libya south of lampedusa. a major search and rescue operation is now underway. we have al jazeera's paul drone man joining us from sicily. bring us up to date with the latest. i understand a couple more people have been rescued. >> yeah, the kali coast guard have i should reports of the actually search and rescue operation in the wider area of sea out there in the mediterranean. there are some 17 vessels involved in that search and rescue operation both military, navy and coast guard, as well as merchant shipping, called into action to respond. hundreds of people possibly to be plucked from the water. there is a

meanwhile, yemen's president adou rabbo mansour hadi sacked three top military officers. the chief of staff of the armed forces the deputy chief of staff of yemen's armed forces and the head of special forces. saudi arabia is asking pakistan for military help. the parliament in islamabad is discussing that request which could include ground troops. we have a report. after days of heavy fighting and running battles many parts of aden have been destroyed. homes and shops lie in ruins. civilians are also being killed. houthi rebels, along with fighters loyal to ali abdullah saleh, the former president are in fill rating districts near the city's border. these are fighters loyal to president hadi putting up a fierce battle. the locals are caught up in the middle. >> it is getting really difficult for citizens to get the water and food supplies. power is intermittent. we get the power maybe two or three hours a day electric power, but otherwise everything is going downhill. the hospitals. >> people in aden say they've been without clean water for five days and stores are being

in baghdad, prime minister if my adou rabbo mansour hadi held the funeral. june the fight for the oil refinery has porch to be a tough one. gains on both sides change momentarily. leaders for isil say it remains a top strategic priority. the challenge for the government is to resume production june the battle for the refinery which is about 27 square kilometers is proving to be long, hard and costly. it has become a symbol of the challenge between the warring sides. neither is able to fully control and declare victory. the production of more than 175,000-barrels of oil a day has stopped and the refinery has been shut down since june last year. al jazeera baghdad. >> activists in syria repelled a government offensive. thirty government soldiers were killed in the fighting and seven army tanks destroyed. the syrian observatory for human rights said 27 rebel fighters died. they captured a loyal to government forces. >> a lawyer trying to hold oil giant chevron accountable for dumping toxics waste in ecuador has lost his appeal. it's the latest twist in a 30 yea

news our in yemen with intense fighting on the ground between forces that back president adou rabbo mansour hadi and those loyal to houthi rebels. fighters are making begins against the houthis. armed trainsman in yemen's southeast have taken control of one of the most important ports. it is the country's only gas export terminal. france has a 40% stake in that facility. >> more heavy fighting in aden. 23 houthi fighters have surrendered. the tribesmen are pushing back houthi fighters in other areas in the city. east of the capitol sanna tribal fighterrion are managing to hold off the houthi advance. they say the houthis have superior weapons but can be defeated. a retired air force general said more airstrikes as well as ground troops may be needed. >> really without the air campaign the houthi could control the whole of yemen but the air campaign did stop them, cutting their supply line and infrastructure so they are keeping the pressure on them so that, you know, they can't defeat them up from the air. it's very difficult. you need other element like operation all troops on the ground to do t

commander in yemen and 15,000 of his troops throw support behind the president as troops loyal to adou rabbo mansour hadi retake his home in aden from houthi fighters. >> 90,000 people flee f

on the ground, fighters which support the current president adou rabbo mansour hadi engage in street to street battles. the fiercest fighting is taking place in aden, a stronghold for hadi supporters that was also his final safe haven before he was forced to leave for saudi arabia. civilians are suffering the most. the united nation says 560 people have been killed since the start of the fighting, an estimated 74 of them are children. on the border crossing with saudi arabia are people still trying to escape. >> actually, the situation is getting worse. that's why the company advised us to leave immediately. >> i live in the center of sanna close to several military bases. i had to flee. there were several airstrikes. it was terrifying. >> despite calls by several governments for aid to be allowed to yemen and the assurances by saudi arabia that it will facilitate the arrival of aid, very little has been able to enter the country. the fighting on the ground coupled with the consistent bombardment from the air means for now the one thing in constant supply is violence. >> doctors with

on the ground, fighters report those loyal to adou rabbo mansour hadi are fighting. civilians are suffering the most. the united nations says 560 people have been killed since the start of the fighting. an estimated 74 of them are children. on the border crossing with saudi arabia, people are still trying to escape. >> actually, the situation is getting worse the company advised us to leave immediately. >> i live in the center of sanna close to several military bases. i had to flee were. there were several airstrikes. it was terrifying. >> despite call for several government to say allow aid into yemen and saudi arabia saying it would facilitate the arrival of aid and workers the fighting on the ground coupled with the consistent bombardment for the air means that for now the one thing in constant supply is violence. al jazeera. >> the u.s. defense secretary ash carter said is country supports saudi arabia's military action with with respect to yemen, the united states is supporting the effort to get a political solution to stop the violence. at the same time, we're

on the ground, rebels continue to battle forces loyal to penalty adou rabbo mansour hadi. the president has been in saudi arabia since the coalition campaign began. there are reports that troops were seen getting off ships at a port in aden, but yemeni officials say those guards are part of a security detail and not ground forces. early thursday, al-qaeda fighters stormed a prison in the east and freed hundreds, including one of their leaders. saudi arabia reports the first casualty saying one border guard soldier was killed by gunfire from across the border with yemen. ten other soldiers were injured. the war has led to lockdown in yemen's capitol sanna. people have left or are staying at home. just a few businesses remain open. >> a food store that's open for business in sanna has become a rare sight in a city under bombardment. the war in yemen has not only forced people to flee homes in search of a safe haven, but made many businesses shut their doors as within already battered economy is further devastated. >> there are few people left. those who stayed live alone wit

to be advancing in aden, one of the main strongholds of the countries embattled president adou rabbo mansour hadi. there's been fighting in the southern province. we have the latest. >> the saudi-led coalition unleashed an 11th night of airstrikes lighting up the sky of sanna the targets including a military base and locations controlled by houthi rebels and fighters loyal to former president ali abdullah saleh. this village near sanna was also affected. >> four rockets came down on our village and they said they were targeting a militia camp. where is the camp? is this a camp? these are sleeping muslims. >> overnight, houthi rebels ransacked the homes of several politicians and arrested them after they expressed support for the coalition strikes. these illegal procedures are also a result of our rejection towards what is done by the houthis and supporters against our brothers in the southern area that aden. we reject these procedures. >> the fighters control aden where houthi fighters are gaining ground. jets from the coalition have again air dropped weapons to bolter supporters as the bombing c

. >> the fiercest basses are in the southern city of aden, there are forces loyal to adou rabbo mansour hadi in areas with parts aligned to former president ali abdullah saleh. aid agencies have found it almost impossible to reach those most in need. >> we coordinated the arrival of a passenger plane to sanna. it landed and left safely. we are in the pros of coordinating a second flight for them and are finalizing the details. >> russia is working through the united nations to get all sides to agree to a ceasefire and allow aid to be delivered. china has also called for a political solution to this war hinting that it supports president hadi. >> china is deeply worried by the recent dell in the first of the yemen situation. we call on all relevant parties to quickly implement a ceasefire and avoid further civilian casualties. china hopes all relevant sides can i am president-elect solutions and proles also. we call on them to resolve the crisis through political dialogue to restore yemen's stability and real order. >> the international community faces a difficult challenge. saudi arabia and

it became a base of operations for president adou rabbo mansour hadi after he was forced to leave the capitol earlier this year. despite weeks of airstrikes, the houthis still control large parts of yemen and they're well armed. the government says iran and he's bra are partnering with the rebels. the houthis deny that. >> the yemeni minister of defense has been kidnapped. more than 1,000 people have died since the war began in late marsh. 12 million people desperately need food and water numbers that will only grope as the fighting continues. al jazeera. >> let's speak to muhammed, a member of the political wing of the houthi movement and their spokesman. i'd like to get your response and reaction first to what yemen foreign minister has told us. he says experts from iran, syria and hezbollah are supporting your fighters in yemen. what do you respond? >> this is not true. saudi arabia has imposed and tried to impose stages. iran cannot reach yemen. these accusations are not true at all and we are accustomed to these from previous wars. >> it says the rapes were involved in the kidnap

fierce battles are taking place on the ground in aden between supporters of president adou rabbo mansour hadi and houthi fighters. let's bring in al jazeera's muhammed on the saudi-yemeni border. we were entering a new phase announced yesterday so why are we seeing new airstrikes in taiz? >> it is a new phase but is not completely a different phase. for those who thought that the announcement yesterday night by the leadership of the coalition is the end of the war they might be disappointed today. the saudi arabia and its allies launched a series of strikes at least two confirmed to us. one was after the announcement of the end of the war in aden when tanks in possession of the houthis were seen moving to areas from which they were expelled a few days ago in the area of the coastal line of aden where the presidential palace is located, the house of president hadi and also government buildings. also in taiz today airstrikes against houthi positions and fighters when they tried to take the base of the brigade 35, which is loyal to president hadi. that's exactly what the saudi's warned of when t

the players include forces loyal to president adou rabbo mansour hadi and various tribes. the foreign minister said regaining troll of yemen won't come easily but the regional stability dependency on it. >> we are not warmongerrers but when they beat it is drums are war, we are ready. >> in the moon time, those who can are getting out of yemen. about 350 indian citizens left aboard this navy ship overnight. for those who remain are growing concerns of a humanitarian crisis and no sign of a ceasefire anytime soon. al jazeera. >> let's talk more about it then with our correspondent who has reported extensively in yemen. it does seem that the saudi-led coalition is making some gains in this week long battle now. >> yes just about a week ago houthi fighters managed to drive into the capitol into aden, controlling some significant areas, like the vicinity of the airport and also some areas in downtown aden. now we are seeing them pulling out of these areas forces loyal to hadi and secessionist movement are in control of the airport. they are overrunning military bases. it seems

the southern city of aden, one of the main strongholds of the countries embattled penalty adou rabbo mansour hadi. we have the latest. >> the saw the led coalition unleashed an 11th night of airstrikes lighting up the sky of sanna. the targets including the military baits and other locations held by houthi rebels and former president ali abdullah saleh. sanna was also affected. >> four rocket came down on our village and said they were targeting the militia camp. where is the camp? these are sleeping muslims. >> overnight houthi rebels ransacked the homes of politician and arrested them after they expressed support for the coalition strikes. >> these illegal procedures are a result of our reject towards what is being done to the houthis and our brothers particularly in aden. he we reinvestigate all those procedures. >> in the south in aden houthi fighters are gaining ground in spite of the strikes. jets from the coalition air dropped weapons to help bolster supporters as the bombing began from the sea aimed at houthi supply lines and depots. there's no occasion whether ground forces will be deplo

and what is adou rabbo mansour hadi likely to get. >> he is asking for drones. he wants to tell the american penalty that iraq's needs are urgent and immediate and i think he's going really to make the case they want direct immediate support otherwise iran has filled the vacuum, the space that the u.s. has left in iraqi and is likely to do more of that. >> i was going to ask you about iran what role from a military point of view is iran going to be playing especially acknowledge attack on anbar? >> from a military point of view not much. the soon any bribes are anbar are keen, they do not want any militias to go into their territories, but they will need support. they need manpower and the iraqi army might not be sufficient. they definitely need far more air support. they know the territory very well i think isil has lost the momentum has lost definitely its initial let's say appeal, or cashing on the frustration of the sunni tribe so the tide has turned against them, but the iraqi government, the iraqi army needs a lot of support. politically, it is important t

committees loyal to president adou rabbo mansour hadi are engaged in street battles in aden. saudi t.v. says a number of airstrikes forced the rebels and forces loyal to topple would president ali abdullah saleh to leave their presidential palace a day after they captured it. >> this is only a gimmick. they cannot keep that. they were just on top of the mountains and i'm sure they will be on the run. aden is a peninsula and these people are blocked within the city limits. they are really hitting at civilians from the top of the hills where they are remaining there. >> despite the ninth day of the aerial campaign, the houthis and their allies are fighting back. the saudi's could be now using another tactic to fight the houthis, a local t.v. station said these pictures show boxes that weapons and ammunitions dropped by the saudi-led coalition jets to forces backing penalty hadi in the city. the fight for yemen could be a long one and the number of casualties continues to grow. the u.n. says it's concerned. >> i call on all parties involved to meet obligations under internationa

that is where president adou rabbo mansour hadi tried to set up a temporary administration before he fled the capitol. local tribesmen have launched attacks against houthis. the houthis have also been advancing on shabwa in a bid to control where most of yemen's energy reserves are shipped but facing tough resistance from tribesman, peter joins us from york, god to of you with us, peter salsbury. these tribesmen seem to be joining forces to take on the houthis. what do you know about them and how effective could they be? >> the problem to date in fact has been not that the tribesmen aren't fighting back, but that they haven't been able to coordinate between themselves. we're seeing in the south a mounting resistance, this at the same time by an alliance of the houthis and yemen's former president ali abdullah saleh to take the south of the country. tribes are fighting back against the houthis but thus far haven't really been able to coordinate with each other or it would appear to coordinate particularly well with the coalition being launched out of saudi arabia, so the problem isn't

neighborhood of aden, witnesses speak of street battles between supporters of embattled president adou rabbo mansour hadi and houthi fighters. the houthis are the target of an intense aerial bombing campaign by a saudi-led coalition. airstrikes hit a camp under the control of fighters loyal to former president ali abdullah saleh, who also backs the houthis. the coalition released these military pictures which is says shows the bombing of a stadium in aden that was being used as a houthi ammunition storer. >> the use of schools and sports stadiums and civilian incidents likes is evidence of the abnormal behavior of these groups and the actions that are intended to damage the daily life of citizens and the infrastructure. >> the houthis reportedly have presence now in over half of yemen's 22 provinces. they also have a firm grip on the capitol, where thousands of people turned up to this march in support. >> we, the yemeni people came to take part to refuse the brutal act of aggression on the people of yemen. the people are yemen are peaceful and the attacks waged on it by saudi arabia, i consider these an

now, with adou rabbo mansour hadi in riyadh now for a while saying we are here, we are still functioning, there is a government and you are as yemenese that is the main audience. he wants also to send a message to those who are helping yemenese the coalition and those in the resolution, saying thank you for supporting the yemenese people. he admitted there are challenges ahead and yemenis should be prepared for the challenge. >> who has the power the weight to get the competing sides to the table? it seems that iran is attempting to position itself as such. how realistic is that? >> i think with the resolution imposing sanctions, they are being cornered. i'm not sure they can play a role in the restoration. of course saudi arabia does not want iran involved in that, even other players in the region. of course international community or united nations i think would be the plain player who can contribute to the stability in yemen by appointing a new envoy to yemen. you know, other players should work within the united nations to help yemenis other players like iran are not welcomed by any

fiercest battles are taking place in the southern city of aden, they are forces loyal to pat adou rabbo mansour hadi battling houthis and their army, part of which remains with ali abdullah saleh the former president. as the fighting rages on, the humanitarian situation is worsening. aid agencies have found it impossible to reach those most in need. the saudis are doing their best to help the agency the red cross. >> we coordinated the arrival of a passenger plane to sanna. it landed and left safely. we are in the process of coordinating a second flight and finalizing the details. >> russia is working through the united nations to get all sides to agree to a ceasefire and allow aid to be delivered. china also called for a political solution to this war hinting though, that it supports president hadi. >> china is deeply worried by the recent developments of the situation in yemen. we call on all relevant parties to quickly implement a ceasefire and avoid further civilian casualties. china also hopes that all relevant sides cap implement u.n. security council resolutions and g.c.c. propose's also. we

the popular sycessance committees loyal to penalty adou rabbo mansour hadi are making gains every day particularly in aden. street to street battles continue in the center of the city with tanks and heavy shelling as they try to force the houthis to retreat or surrender. the airstrikes, gunfire and heavy bombardment means aden's streets are practically empty except for fighters on both sides. rubbish is filing up everywhere, because there are no government services. some young yemenese are risking their lives to clean the streets themselves to try to ensure that diseases are not added to the long list of alleges yemenese already have to endure. >> thank you for being with us. first question, sir has the saudi led action against the houthis created an opening for al-qaeda to take control of yep. >> yes it has and we have seen this mechanism in play in other areas, of course in iraq when we had a destabilization because of invasion and external air power. we've seen this in syria and in other organizations in afghanistan and libya. whenever you have ungoverned space created because of c

forces loyal to yemen's president adou rabbo mansour hadi are gaining fro ground in aden and other areas in the south. here on the western entrance into aden, vehicles speed away carrying people escaping the fighting traveling in the opposite direction. ambulances head toward the fighting but can't get very far. >> there are injured people over there, but the houthis are targeting our vehicles. they shot at us. we can't reach the injured. >> the so you had led coalition is ramping up its campaign to force the houthis and their allies to disarm, pull out from the cities they control and join political talks to solve yemen's crisis. the houthis say they will not hold talks if the airstrikes continue. al jazeera. >> the russian version of the state of the union is underway this morning but with a decidedly interactive twist. you are in fact looking at live pictures from moscow as russian president vladimir putin is householding his 13th annual question and answer marathon. they are a couple of hours into this. he of its members of the general public to ask questions live on t.v. let's bring

in taiz in the west after they marched on a military base, brigade 35, loyal to president adou rabbo mansour hadi and again saudi-led airstrikes targeted there and tried to destroy the houthi movements and prevent them from taking the base. here where i stand, you can see behind me some of the border. this is coastal port for the saudi marine guard and you can see the boats behind me have been on a high state of alert which means that for saudi arabia nothing much has changed in terms of its fears that there might be a backlash from the houthi side, attacks from behind the border, and for many here, here in saudi arabia and also in yemen, it's almost a case of the morning after the night before. >> that's interesting. it's an interesting way to put it. what does this mean for any potential diplomacy? >> yeah, we heard that in reports that former president ali abdullah saleh has on his twitter accounts welcomed the end of the saudi-led airstrikes and said that a political operation should start now whereby all the parties can participate and form a national unity government. we heard a lot of dipl