crossing to hashem ahelbarra, joining us from the conference taking place in riyadh. what is the order of play at the conference, what have we seen so far, and why the houthis say they are not attending? >> basically there has been some speeches by the g.c.c. secretary-general saying that the g.c.c. countries will provide significant support for the legitimate government of president abd-rabbu mansour hadi and the international community to bring all the political factions to negotiate a political settlement. now the western ambassadors are talking, and then president abd-rabbu mansour hadi. it's a conference to put into perspective some of the ... >>> apologies for that technical glitch with hashem ahelbarra. hashem ahelbarra was reporting for us from that conference that you are looking at there, taking place in riyadh in saudi arabia where yemeni tribal leaders, some political factions regional leaders and international officials like the u.n. envoy attending that conference in riyadh trying to find a solution to the crisis in yemen. we are keeping an eye on what i

ha hashem ahelbarra is here with us. hashem. >> to negotiate a political settlement the u.n. was of the view that geneva would be the best place for talks on normality. but the saudi said we will only go if the houthis guarantee they are pulling out. >> hang on. this is more or less talks about arranging more talks at this stage. >> yes. the u.n. envoy was in oman, then

willing to achieve what has eluded his predecessor jamal ben omar. >> we'll leave it there, hashem ahelbarra, hashem, thank you. we're moving on to other news. u.s. special forces say they've killed an i.s.i.l. commander in a raid inside syria. abu saef was targeted in syria it will kimberly halkett has more from washington. >> the white house is telling al jazeera that it was president obama who ordered this attack in the effort to capture and ultimately kill saef. we understand there was some ground or hand to hand combat that took place that resulted in the death of anu saef but the capture a young yazidi girl has been rescued and sent to her family. the united states pouring over reams of data, computers seized as well as hard drives, hard disks, they are being analyzed in terms of trying to understand who anu saef was he was in charge of oil and gas revenues. a very major source of revenue for i.s.i.l. pointing out that it did not consult syrian authorities saying that in fact the u.s. views that the actions of syria have in some ways contributed to the rise of i.s.i.l. and as a result

hashem ahelbarra what do we expect to hear from them today? >> well, they will basically now try exactly what happened and how the suicide bomber managed to get in the area and detonate the explosives. after i.s.i.l. said that it claimed responsibility for the attack and mentioned the name of the bomber from saudi arabia, the saudi will now try to conduct dna tests on the body of the suicide bomber to try to establish exactly his identity ran then try to find out the affiliations, the people he has been fimentedbenefited with in the past. now, further attacks by i.s.i.l saudi arabia has been grappling with attacks from al qaeda in the past forcing al qaeda to rebase in yemen. this is something that also comes against the backdrop, hasim, of houthis and the forces loyal to president ali abdullah saleh. these are things that authorities think could escalate fighting across the region. >> thank you, hashem ahelbarra in yemen. >>> plumes of smoke scosh seen, the united nations says a thousand civilians have been killed there in weeks. for many of

ha hashem ahelbarra is here with us. hashem. >> to negotiate a political settlement the u.n. was of the view that geneva would be the best place for talks on normality. but the saudi said we will only go if the houthis guarantee they are pulling out. >> hang on. this is more or less talks about arranging more talks at this stage. >> yes. the u.n. envoy was in oman, then flew to sanaa to talk to top houthi leaders about exploring possibilities for new talks. you know biggest problem is that the international community faces right now is the confidence-building measures. there's huge divisions between the government and its allies and the houthis and forces allied with former president ali abdullah saleh. >> the yemenis and houthis are not at those be talks are they? >> yes, the government is not taking part because it does not recognize the houthi take over. for any talks in the future the houthis should restore the government of abd rabbu mansour hadi. and at the end of the day the u.n. officials will urge political settlement not fighting on the ground. >> i guess that puts

hashem ahelbarra has more. >> reporter: government troops gain ground. if job falls into government hands it will be the most significant loss for houthi rebels since they took power in september. these vehicles seizeed by tribes men loyal to president abd rabbu mansour hadi. backed by soldiers loyal to former president ali abdullah saleh have intensified their campaign to capture yemen's third largest city. >> translator: we are ordered by our religion, norms and morals, to defend yemen. >> reporter: the saudi led coalition has ramped up its positions against houthis in the saada the capital. southern province of shebwa, as the fighting picks up international efforts are underway to bring together yemen's warring factions to start political talks in geneva. saudi arabia which backs president hadi said iran is not welcome at geneva. >> the last time i checked iran was not a member of the gcc not a member of the arab states, not in league with countries near yemen, why not invite others to the conference, there is no place for iran at geneva. they have no

let's go live to hashem ahelbarra. he's not going why? >> reporter: jane, there has been long conversations between the u.n. envoy and him. they say they are a legitimate government so they say they should be the ultimate authority in the country. number two they would like to get guarantees from the international community that the houthis pull out before the geneva talks and also stay away from politics and stay away from undermining the political process. if these demands are met then the president his government is going to go to geneva. if that is not met they don't see any reason to go to the talks. very delicate talks right now. president abd rabbu mansour hadi with the members of the political parties in saudi arabia today to try to convince them that geneva could be the last chance for diplomacy. >> any sign on the ground they might listen to this? quite a bit of lines are dropping about action between sites. >> reporter: this is a problem be jaip. i was speaking to ajane. forces loyal to the president ali abdullah saleh in the c

. >> we'll speak oto our correspondent hashem ahelbarra. on the one hand they're going to intensify the air strikes. what do you say will happen? >> the five day ceasefire will be set against certain conditions. which will be conditioned on no houthi shelling dmom. no what we have seen over the last 48 hours is basically the following. saudi arabia is now going massively against targets after the houthi, further escalation of the conflict which is definitely going to take quite some time in the near future. >> they have also said that houthis, to target inside descraib. >> yousaudiarabia? >> they can easily get to those mountains with artillery and target the villages. the villages are well in the reach of the houthis. they come out with air strikes push the heucts back from houthis back from this area. if not solved you will definitely see more vinyls. inside yemen to put an end to those shellings. >> okay. so in terms of dialogue with all parties, which is what saudi arabia says it's pushing for where are we with that? >> saudi arabia has

hashem ahelbarra, al jazeera riyadh. >>> president nkurunziza has made the first appearance since the coup. warning from a armed group of al shabaab, haru mutasa reports from bujumbura. >> burundi's president wants to show he's back in control after attempting a coup. deflected attention from the political crisis. >> we are very preoccupied by al shabaab's attack. as you know brun burundi has sent troops to zimbabwe. face these attacks that are security risk to the citizens of burundi. >> there was no mention about the political unrest or his determination to run for a third term. which is unconstitutional. amina howard is worried. she is planning a survival strategy. >> translator: when the protests happened, everything closes. it's not always safe to be out. i'm make sure i have enough food for a few days. >> reporter: some political analysts say the presidential election in june could be delayed because of the political instability. but the ruling party seems to be preparing for poll. it is not just about nkurunziza wanting a third term. what is clear is that things here are unpred

hashem ahelbarra has the story. >> dropping bearls barrels containing chlorine gas. in 2013, united nations investigators confirmed the use of serin nerve agent without establishing who carried out the attack. the u.s. and many other countries though have repeatedly accused the government of bashar al-assad of attacking the people with chemical weapons. last month, united nations security council ambassadors were shown this video. doctors trying to revive three child victims of an apparent chlorine gas attack. it was too late. rebels say chemical attacks have increased in northern syria increased by the opposition in idlib province. this is a military parade ton outskirts of damascus, only weeks after capturing the city of idlib. the army of islam is tasked once the regime of bashar al-assad is toppled. >> translator: tonight we stand united against the syrians, they want to establish a regime here, i can assure you we will defeat them. >> army of conquestions to capture idlib. now their uses are set on attack here. the u.s. has in the past refrained from arming syri

hashem ahelbarra reporting for us. >>> a train accident in philadelphia killed at least five and injured more than 50 others. the passenger train derailed on its journey from washington d.c. to new york city. it shut down services in the region. >> reporter: the amtrak trail derailed minute after pulling out of philadelphia 36th station. all six passenger cars and the engine ran off the tracks, crashed into each other flipping on to its side. some overturned. >> i felt like the brakes were hit hard. our car, it started to go to the right. i raised my arm. we saw it go like that you could see it off the tracks. we rolled and rolled. next thing we were pushing out the emergency exit. i was outside. people were screaming and bleeding. we helped them out. they are okay now. >> most of the 243 people on board walked away from the scene. dozens were injured and a few are confirmed dead. hundreds of police officers firefighters and emergency workers rushed to the accident site. investigators are trying to find out what went wrong. >> i have been down on the tracks on the scope with my staff. it

hashem ahelbarra, al jazeera. is >> the syrian observatory for human rights says the coalition has killed nearly 52 civilians in it also says children were among those killed and not a single i.s.i.l. fighter was injured. no confirmation of the report but it is investigating these claims. >>> joins us live from baghdad and we certainly appreciate your time. the government says what's happening is i.s.i.l. is basically embedded, among displaced sunnies who are trying to flee safety, does that ring true for you is there any proof on that? >> well, first of all let's speak on frank basis. there is humanitarian crisis, which is very obvious for anyone in the world that are about 250 250,000 and has been displaced from theirs homes because of the fighting with i.s.i.s. and i.s.i.s. has occupied their territories, this is first. and secondly, this is a very important issue is that they must have camps or some sort of support, governmental support for their resistance to be an iraqi lived on the iraqi home land. which is

. >>> small sign of diplomatic progress as hashem ahelbarra reports. >> reporter: it's the first time saudi led coalition has targeted yemen's former president, ali abdullah saleh. the former saudi ally was unharmed in the attack, and remains defiant. >> translator: you should continue carrying your arms. ready to sacrifice your lives in defense against these belligerent attacks. i can describe this aggression as an act of cowards. if you are brave enough come and face us at the battlefield. come and we will be at your reception. shelling us will not enable you to achieve any of your goal. >> this is the moment the location was struck by coalition jets, to prevent the landing of air crafts carrying aid. the saudi led coalition has intensified its military campaign pounding targets in saada province in northern yemen, in aden, apra chebwa and other provinces. this is an ammunition depot the houthis were planning to use to shell saudis. the houthis remain skeptical about the ceasefire they say any step to alleviate the suffering of the yemenis will be welcome. they are urging aid agenci

hashem ahelbarra reports. >> reporter: mohammed has spent most of his life here.s is a small community on the outskirts of yemen's capitol, sana'a. he lived along with his father and married brothers and sisters in this house. it took them years to build it. but their house has been badly damaged by the force from explosions that targeted the area in the last few weeks. it could collapse any time. >> translator: my father and sisters lived here. this is where i lived with my wife and children. this is where my brother lived. he was planning to marry in two week's time and move with his wife to this room. it is all gone. >> reporter: this is the moment the saudi-lead coalition air strikes targeted what they said was a scud missile depot last month. jets also strike a military base used by the elite republican guard which is loyal to former president saleh. >>> hundreds of families have had to flee their homes, including mohammed. >> reporter: we first sought refuge here but then it rained and we had to evacuate. we now live in a shop that was emptied by its owner.

we can get more now from our correspondent hashem ahelbarra who is live in the capital reed a for us.us more about this attack hashem. >> reporter: eyewitnesss say they were performing the friday prayers in the eastern part of the kingdom of saudi arabia when they heard a huge explosion. there were about 150 inside the mosque 20 were killed dozens injured. now, that same area the eastern part of the country, about -- about two months ago, arm mentioned targeted shia worshippers, killing seven of them. they also attacked foreigners and security forces. about a few weeks ago, saudi interior minister said it had arrested dozens of people affiliated with isil that were planning to launch attacks across the country, including the united states embassy in riyadh. >> and what are we to make of the fact that isil has claimed responsibility for this attack? >> reporter: this is going to raise more concerns here in saudi arabia. saudi arabia has been battling al-qaeda for many many years. the crown prince was the -- he was in charge of a unit that was fighting al-qaeda for almost -- for almost

one of the correspondent who spent a lot of time in yemen for us is hashem ahelbarra. here is his account of some of the events before the press conferences we have just been listening to. >> reporter: hours after offering a five-day humanitarian ceasefire in yemen, the saudi-lead coalition has launched more air strikes against the houthis. army officers say the decision was in response to houthi shelling of saudi villages. >> translator: now the equation has changed. we will target those who carried out the attacks against our people their bases, the cities where houthi commanders are operating. our military operation will be longer and harsher. it will go after all of the houthi commanders. >> reporter: these are some of the areas that were hit in sa'dah the power base of the houthis in northern yemen. the saudi-lead coalition said it destroyed command and telecommunication centers. the coalition dropped leaf lets urging people to stay away from sa'dah's old city. fighting is continuing across the country. here on the streets of aden in the south, forces loyal to pre

but as hashem ahelbarra reports, the international community is hoping to find a more durable solutionter: aid agencies are frustrated and concerned because they haven't been able to get to most of the areas inside yemen because of the safety considerations. they would like to see the ceasefire extended for a longer period to be able to travel to many areas and assess the needs of the population. the united nations envoy has described the situation -- the humanitarian situation in yemen as catastrophic and he said that he would like to see the parties respect the ceasefire. now the saudis have accused the houthis of violating the ceasefire, saying that their patience runs thin for the time being. the houthis are hitting back saying the saudi-lead coalition has also violated the ceasefire. the international community is hoping to convince the saudis and the different yemeni factions to extend the ceasefire to pave the way for political talks, but also to address the worsening humanitarian situation in the country. >> hashem ahelbarra in riyadh. >>> well the minister orchestra makes hist

from riyadh hashem ahelbarra reports. >> reporter: surrender or face war.e houthis by factions and tribal leaders gathering in riyadh. president hadi who is in exile called for arab joint troops in yemen to protect civilians. hadi's only chance to return to yemen is a defeat of the houthi fighters. >> translator: this will pave the way and lay a solid foundation for resolving all of the issues. the houthi militias and the forces loyal to ousted president saliva misread the concept of the truce. >> reporter: but the government has little control on the ground. it says talks with houthis can only happen if they pull out from areas besieged. >> houthis must understand that they will not be a solution without the houthi respecting the resolutions of the security council. they have to withdrawal. they have to understand that what they are doing is bringing dissensions and probably splittering of the country. >> reporter: this is mohammed leader of one of the most powerful party in yemen. his party played a significant role in the 2011 up rising that toppled form

. >>> hashem ahelbarra is live in the saudi capitol riyadh. hi hashem. is the ceasefire holding?rter: basically it's holding across most of the country, except for some sporadic clashes taking place. but in general there is a ceasefire which has so far been respected by most of the different feuding factions. the saudi army says there has been some shells landed in saudi villages, but the saudi army is observing self restraint so the ceasefire holds. sources close to the houthis say there has been some -- they have heard saudi-lead coalition war planes flying over some areas, but we couldn't get any confirmation of that from sources here in riyadh. >> hashem ahelbarra live with that update. thank you. >>> now yemen is likely to be on the agenda as leaders from gulf nations gather in the united states for a summit on regional security. u.s. president barack obama has welcomed saudi leaders to the white house ahead of that meeting. the u.s. president said the two nations are building on a strong relationship during a challenging time. >> on a personal level, my work and the u.s. go

thank you hashem ahelbarra for that update. hashem ahelbarra reporting from riyadh. >>> egypt hanged six men accused of carrying out attacks on security forces. they belonged to a group pledging loilt yoi to i.s.i.l. -- loyalty to i.s.i.l. it's the first execution since the military coup in july 2013. crossing to london bringing in amnesty international nicola to give us your reaction to the news of the hanging. >> yes, the despicable acts. the men were executed after a sham of a trial. they were never given proper access to lawyers. it looks like cold-blooded murder and payback for the shooting yesterday of overall judicial offices. >> police are saying that the men that were hanged according to egyptian police, belonged to a group pledging allegiance to i.s.i.l. what do you make of that? >> whether they were or weren't, the truth is they deserved a fair trial. at the time of the alleged attacks that they were sentenced for, three were held in secret detention and couldn't possibly have taken part. other evidence seemed to hav

hashem ahelbarra reports. >> reporter: these are the streets of yemen's capitol, sana'a.'s a ceasefire in place, an opportunity for yemenese who have been confined to go out and buy food. >> translator: thanks god for the truce. we hope all of those stuck abroad can return. and that they will extend the truce and people will move quickly to provide food and fuel and other things. >> reporter: across the border in riyadh yemen's government in exile has set up an agency to distribute aid across the country. but it's a government that has almost no power on the ground. this is the minister of information. she says political talks are yemen's only chance to avoid an all-out civil war. >> now that we are in a truce of a sort we hope that eventually we talk. because a political discourse is what we're looking for. but that means that the houthis have to surrender their -- at least their heavy arms. they have to allow the government to do its job, and refrain from taking action of violent crime against humanity. >> reporter: yemen's government is lead by president hadi and his v

hashem ahelbarra, al jazeera. >> let's go to saudi arabia mohamed vall our man in riyadh.there any way of finding out whether these people -- and we're talking thousands and thousands of people -- whether they have heeded the warnings in these leaf lets and moved themselves to safety? and anyway where is safety? >> reporter: well according to the statement by the coalition today and that statement was dropped in leaflets as hashem ahelbarra has just said in his package -- according to that statement, at least the area of sa'dah and its surroundings is far less safe than any other part of yemen. that's the area the coalition would like to concentrate on now that the houthis have not complied to the truce offer just 24 hours a day, and they continue with their military activity across yemen. two elements that you haven't seen during the last six weeks one of them -- this is the first time the coalition declares that it is going to go after the houthi commanders and also it is the first time they dropped these kind of leaflets to an entire city or location asking the whole po

hashem ahelbarra, al jazeera riyadh. >> fighting along the lebanese border today. syrian government troops added by hezbollah battled with syria's nusra front and retook the hill recently taken by a rebel group. >>> a u.s. marine corps helicopter haste disappeared the helicopter has just dropped off supplies near the hard hit rule town near kathmandu. on board were six marines and two nepalese. >>> in the rubble of nepal's cities and towns rescue teams continued their difficult tarveg, at least task. the earthquake of yesterday. >> later a look at how france could now be washington's best foreign policy ally. ojudge an attempted military coup is now under way in burundi. today a senior army officer dismiss, saying he is taking over the country. the coup declaration follows weeks of pierre nkurunziza's insistence that he is running for a third term. >> the protest against pierre nkurunziza's third term in power, has been growing. police often seen as against the rule party then on wednesday afternoon many while nkurunziza was out of the country the senior army offic

hashem ahelbarra reports. >> reporter: this is the biggest gathering of yemen's political factions, each has its own vision for the future of yemen but all are united against the houthis who remain in control of much of the country. >> the conference really has brought all parties together. i think this is a very strong message of today to our people in yemen that we are all united against militia of houthis. >> president abd rabbu mansour hadi warns of widespread violence unless the international community intervenes. >> they shell civilian buildings by heavy artillery they also use oil as a toll to humiliate our people, we feel sorry to see our people under the siege of these militias. >> reporter: ssh members of >> reporter: senior members of the congress of ali abdullah saleh were also in riyadh. they switched sides which was a blow to the former president which has been abandoned by his previous supporter saudi arabia. the united nations envoy called for a ceasefire extension. >> i'm hopeful all my first contact indicates we have a chance. i'm calling on all parties to extend at lea

joining us live from riyadh is hashem ahelbarra.we have heard of attacks before, but it's not extremely common that you have a suicide bombing at a mosque. who is behind it? >> reporter: so for no claim of responsibility. it happened in the eastern part of the country, which is home to shia minority during the friday prayers. eyewitnesss say that they were prayering when suddenly they heard a huge explosion. it was obviously a suicide bomber who managed to get into the mosque and detonated his explosives killing 20 worshippers and dozens of people injured, being treated now at the hospital. however, this is an area where there has been attacks in the past. a few months ago armed men targeted worshippers and then targeted security forces and foreigners. the government has said in the past that there are radical groups after fill rated with al-qaeda to target the shia to stoke the tension in the kingdom. the highest religious authority in saudi arabia issued a statement describing the suicide bombing as a heinous crime that aims at de

hashem ahelbarra has more. >> former saudi ally was unarmed in the attack and remains defiant. >> you should continue carrying your arms, ready to sacrifice your arms in defense against these belligerent attacks. i can describe these attacks as acts of cowards. you are brave enough come and face us at the blalt field. not unable you to achieve any of your goals. >> reporter: this is the moment the international airport in sanaa was struck by coalition jets. houthis fighters who control the capital say the attack was to prevent the landing of aircraft carrying aid. the saudi led coalition has intensified its military campaign pounding targets in saada province in northern yemen, and other provinces. saudi army commanders say this is an ammunition depot the houthis were planning to use to shell saudi villages. saudis have offered a five day ceasefire to allow humanitarian deliveries. they are also urging aid agencies to send immediate relief to the people. >> it is the saudis who started the attack. they are the one who start the fight. if they stop the fighting, this will lead to the h

saying it can't deliver more help until the ceasefire begins, hashem ahelbarra has more. >> reporter: it's the first time the saudi-led coalition targeted yemen's former president. >> you should continue carrying your arms, ready to sacrifice your life and defense against the attack. if you are brave enough, face us on the battlefield, come and we'll be at your reception. shelling by rockets and jet fires cannot enable you to achieve your goals. >> reporter: this is the moment at the international airport in sanaa, when it was struck by coalition jets. houthi fighters controlling the capital say the attack was to prevent aircraft carrying aid. the saudi-led coalition intensified its military campaign targetting provinces in northern eden and other areas. saudi army commanders say this is a depot they were planning to use to vel villages. saudi arabia offered a 5-day humanitarian truce starting tuesday. the houthis remain skeptical. they say any step to alleviate the suffering of the yemenis will be welcome. they are also urging aid agencies to send immediate relief to the people. >> t

hashem ahelbarra has more. >> reporter: it's the first time the saudi-led coalition targeted yemen's former president. he was owing. >> you should continue carrying your arms, really ... >>> this is t moment >> translation: you should continue carrying your arms, willing to sacrifice your lives in the face of these belligerent attacks. i can describe this aggression as an act of cowardice if you are brave enough, face us on the battlefield. shelling by rockets and jets cannot enable you to achieve your goals. >> reporter: this is the moment the international airport in sanaa was struck by coalition jets. houthi fighters who control the capital say the attack was to prevent the landing of aircraft carrying aid. the saudi-led coalition intensified military campaigns, targetting sadr province in northern aden, yemen and other provinces. saudi army commanders say it was an ammunition depot that houthis planned to use to shell saudi villages. saudi arabia offered a 5-day humanitarian truce starting tuesday. the houthis remain skeptical. they say any step to alleviate the suffering of the

crossing over to sodastream -- saudi arabia and speaking to hashem ahelbarra.ems the air strikes have intensified just a couple of hours before the ceasefire is due to take effect. >> reporter: absolutely, and there are reports of air strikes targeting houthi positions in different parts of the country, particularly in the northern province of sana'a in ta'izz in the capitol, in aboll la and in aden. >> and what do we know about the munitions depot targeted east of the capitol? >> the saudi-lead coalition said this was an munition depot used by the fighters loyal to president saleh in their fight to further expand across the country. they have also stated in the past that one of the main -- the main goals of the air strikes is to undermine the military capabilities so to gather intelligences about that depot that was targeted yesterday. residents in the area say that dozens of people were killed because of the aftermath of the attack because it triggered massive explosions that targeted local community living in the eastern part of the capitol. >> and how much

joining us live from riyadh is hashem ahelbarra. any clue about who was behind this attack hashem?reporter: sami no clue whatsoever, no claim of responsibility now, but the saudi ministry of information says it is investigating the case. however, there's been similar attack in the past in the eastern part of the country. it was not a suicide bombing, but armed men opened fire on worshippers killing some worshippers. there were also attack in the same area targeting foreigners and security forces. and then the saudis accused them of targeting the east to exacerbate the tensions. >> it is a sensitive time with everything that is going on across the border and further in the region. >> it is sami. they are targeting forces loyal to former president saleh and the houthis. you have the houthis retaliating, and pounding villages on the border area. and a saudi was killed yesterday and three injured when the village was targeted by houthi shells. and this is exactly why the general sentiments here is that they would like to see a -- a swift political affiliation to the crisis because the

we'll get more from hashem ahelbarra who is in the saudi capitol riyadh. us more about what you know about this attack hashem. >> reporter: basically eyewitnesss say that they were praying, the friday prayers when they heard an explosion and 20 people were killed dozens injured. the saudi highest religious authority condemned the attack saying this is a heinous crime targeting the unity of the saudi people saying that the perpetrator is someone who is affiliated with a foreign agenda to further destabilize the region. the saudi ministry of interior said that he is further investigating the case. this happened in a -- area that is home to the shia minority. the authorities say that these are people affiliated with radical groups who are trying to use the violence as an excuse to exacerbate the sectarian tension in the country. >> is there any idea who is responsible for the attack? >> reporter: no claim of responsibility so far. we're getting reports that the -- isil is claiming responsibility for the attack inside saudi arabia and the attack which took pla

. >> thank you hashem ahelbarra. reporting from riyadh. >>> >>> egypt hanged six men accused of carrying out attacks on security forces. police say they belonged to a group pledging loyalty to i.s.i.l. it's the first execution since the military coup in july 2013. the next international researcher niklas piachaud said the men did not receive a fair trial. >> yes, the despicable acts. the men were executed after a sham of a trial. they should never have been trialled before the court. the security forces falsified the dates of their arrest. they were never given proper access to lawyers. or even to challenge their convictions. it looks like cold-blooded murder and payback for the shooting yesterday of several judicial offices. the international community will do what it always does saying that it's concerned. but that is not good enough. we need the international security to deal with it. they are handing down death sentences at the drop of a pen. we need actions. right now the disagrees all community is signing lucra

hashem ahelbarra has more from riyadh. >> president abd-rabbu mansour hadi, in exile has set companies -- conditions to attend with the geneva talks. he said that before going to geneva, they should stop interfering with the decisions made by the government. houthis should release political prisoners, including the minister of defence. he has been held for months by the houthis. it's - these are conditions that could undermine chances to go to geneva, because the houthis say that they are willing to go geneva, but under no conditions, and this is what the international community is trying to sort out. they are holding meetings in the capital riyadh, and will be talking to president abd-rabbu mansour hadi, and members of the political parties. if he can convince him to go to geneva, that could be a significant step forward. they still insist on conditions, and it could be a blow to the chances of a diplomatic way out to yemen >>> mass graves have been discovered in malaysia the government is investigating how many came to be buried and where they came from. >> reporter: today the chief

hashem ahelbarra reports. >> reporter: fighters opposed to the houthis are on the offensive. it's the central province, seized by houthi fighters a few months ago. it's recently become a houthi base in their push to capture the southern cities, including aden. fighting resumed after the humanitarian ceasefire expired sunday night. houthis are shelling government troops in tiaz and aden. as the war goes on, millions of yemenis face hard times. this province is not the only area grappling with fuel, food and water shortages. the united nations and the international community are pushing for another truce to aid can reach the war wounded. the iranian navy is escorting a cargo ship, said to contain tons of humanitarian aid. saudi arabia accuses iran of helping the houthis. >> all in all we need a serious concerted international effort to deal with yemen. and to deal with this humanitarian crisis, and, of course, the political solution is the only solution, that is why we believe inter-yemeni dialogue should take place. un u.n. auspices. >>> talks are underway in the saudi arabian

hashem ahelbarra has more from riyadh. >> president abd-rabbu mansour hadi, in exile has set companies with the geneva talks. he said that before going to geneva, they should stop interfering with the decisions made by the government. they should release political prisoners, including the minister of defence. he has been held for months by the houthis. it's - these are conditions that could undermine chances to go to geneva, because the houthis say that they are willing to go geneva but under no conditions and this is what the international community is trying to other out. they are holding meetings in the capital riyadh and members of the political parties. if he wan convince him to go to geneva that could be a significant step forward. they still insist on conditions and it could be a blow to the diplomatic way out to yemen >>> a burning object widely reported to be a plane crashed in northern yemen. al jazeera obtained pictures which show the remains of two f-15 fuel tanks and parts of unused missiles. no evidence has been found of the main fuselage or cockpit. it reads royal saudi

hashem ahelbarra reports from the saudi capitol, riyadh. >> reporter: government troops gain ground ins prosense. its borders sa'dah the power base of the houthis. if it falls into government hands, it will be the post significant loss for houthi rebels since they took over power in september. these are some of the vehicles ceased by tribesmen loyal to president hadi. fighting continues across the country. in the city of ta'izz, the houthis backed by soldiers loyal to the former president have intensified their campaign to capture yemen's third largest city. >> translator: we are ordered by our allegiance norms and morals. >> reporter: the saudi-lead coalition has ramped up its air strikes against houthi positions in sa'dah and the capitol. these are some of the weapons air dropped to government troops in the southern province. as the fighting picks up international efforts are underway to bring together yemen's wars factions to start political talks in geneva. saudi arabia which backs president hadi said iran is not welcome at geneva. >> the last time i checked iran was not a member o

from the saudi capital hashem ahelbarra reports. >> reporter: these are the streets of yemen's capital sanaa. there's a ceasefire in place. and an opportunity for yemenis to be confined to their homes for weeks, to go out and buy food. >> translation: thank god for the truce. we hope those abroad can return, and people can move to provide food, fuel and other things. >> across the border, here in the united nations special envoy has wrapped up his first visit. he faces a delicate task of urging all sides to stop fighting. >> across the border, here in the saudi capital riyadh, yemen's government in exile has set up an agency to distribute aid across the country. but it's a government that has almost no power on the ground. nadia is the minister of a political it's course is what . >> we are in a truce of a talk. we hope to talk. a political discourse is what we are looking for . but that means that the houthis have to surrender their - at least the heavy arms, allow the government to do its job, and refrain from taking action. violent crimes against humanity. >> reporter: yemen's gover

hashem ahelbarra has more there riyadh. >> reporter: this is a significant boost for president hadi.ember when he was forced out of power, placed under house arrest humiliated and then he fled to aden and then saudi arabia. that has significantly changed here riyadh. you have leaders from different parts of the country, forming a new front that supports hadi and that is opposed to the houthis. hadi hopes to convince the international community to use force on the ground, but the problem is that the houthis-backed by forces loyal to the past president saleh, are the ones that control most of the country, and this is not the biggest challenge. how to help hatdy defeat the houthis and move to lead once again yemen. >>> a trial is underway today for the former prime minister of thailand. she faces up to ten years in prison over her alleged role in a controversial rice subsidy program. she told a crowd that she would prove her innocence. >>> and thailand's new government says it will be hold a referendum on a new constitution. the prime minister says it will likely take at least three mon

hashem ahelbarra has more. >> reporter: air strikes targetting houthis in sadr province in northern yemen. opposition forces striking command centers, ammunition depots and the homes of top military commanders. sadr province is a military target and civilians are urged to leave the area. saudi arabian army officers say they will implement a 5 day humanitarian ceasefire starting from tuesday, but warn it will only hold if houthis stop targetting saudi villages. >> translation: these militia escalated the situation, targetting the saudi cities. that's why we need to protect the cities and guarantee the safety of saudi and yemeni cities. >> reporter: fighting is escalating across yemen. tribesmen loyal to president abd-rabbu mansour hadi say they have repelled a houthi offensive in a province. it's a crucial battle for both sides. the province has most of yemen's oil and gas reserves. >> translation: this is the front line, this area was under the control of the houthis, now we have captured it. the rebels are regrouping and planning a counter-offensive. >> reporter: in the city of tiaz, pro

hashem ahelbarra has more. >> reporter: medics watch the body of a man they say was exposed to chlorine gas. syrian activists say the government dropped barrels containing the toxic gas on a town in idlib province it's the second alleged chemical attack on the town. it's not the first time the opposition has raised concerns. in 2013, the united nations investigators confirmed the use of sarin nerve agent outside the capital damascus without establishing who carried out the attack. the u.s. and many other countries though have repeatedly accused the government of bashar al-assad of attacking the syrian people with chemical weapons. accusations dismissed by the leadership in damascus. last month united nations security council ambassadors were shown this video. doctors trying to revive three child victims of an apparent chlorine gas attack. it was too late. rebels say chemical attacks increased in northern syria, following gains by the opposition in idlib. this is a military parade on the outskirts of the capital damascus. the biggest show of force by syrian rebels weeks after they captur

hashem ahelbarra has the latest. >> reporter: the houthi-owns tv channel shows what it says is areasgeted by the saudi-lead coalition in yemen's northern province. including this mausoleum which is where the founder of the houthi movement is buried. saudi army officers say the air strikes are in response of the houthi shelling of saudi villages. >> now the -- equation has changed. we'll target where houthi commanders are operating. our military operation will be longer and harsher. it will go after all of the houthi commanders. >> reporter: and that will likely make it difficult to move forward with the five-day humanitarian ceasefire proposed by the saw decision on thursday. the coalition has announced that all of the province is a military target urging civilians who live in the city to leave the area. fighting is continuing across the country. here on the streets of aden in the south, forces loyal to president hadi have been fighting for weeks to push the rebels out. but the houthis, backed by soldiers who support former president saleh, insist they still have the upper hand. [ ex

. >> hashem ahelbarra in riyadh. >>> well, straight ahead on al jazeera america the european union takes new steps to try to stop a migrant crisis in the mediterranean. plus a refugee success story. from fleeing violence to running their own business far from home. >> the european union has approved military action to curb the influx of people crossing the mediterranean into europe. the plan will target human traffickers. officials hope that it will disrupt the flow of migrants by destroying boats used by the smugglers. the e.u. policy chief said that the operation will be fully launched next month. there is migrant crisis happening in lebanon. more than a million syrians fled trying to escape civil war. we have reports on one lebanese camp giving some syrians the opportunity to work and get back on their feet. >> a pastry chef. he normally makes sweets. but some reasks want him to make pizza so he's giving it a shot. . >> they offered to give me had shop and provide all the equipment for free. i now earn layoff forgive my family and get to employ other workers from the camp as well. >>

more now from hashem ahelbarra. >> reporter: international aid agencies are frustrated and concerned they haven't been able to get to most areas inside yemen because of the safety considerations. they would like to see the ceasefire extended for a longer period to travel to the many areas and assess the needs of the population. the united nations has described the humanitarian situation in yemen as catastrophic, and he said he would like to see the fighters respect the ceasefire. the saudis say the houthis have violated the ceasefire. and the houthis are hitting back saying the saudi-lead coalition has always violated the ceasefire. the international community is hoping to convince the saudis and the different yemeni factions to extend the ceasefire to pave the way for political talks and also address the worsening humanitarian situation in the country. >>> syria's opposition has raised concerns about talks being held in geneva. the political leadership told the u.n. envoy that his attempts to include iran and other allies of bashar al-assad in the discussions will not help attain pe

. >> hashem ahelbarra in riyadh. >>> the minnesota orchestra makes history tonight performing at a venuer decades was off limits to american musicians. ♪ >>> cuban officials will travel to the u.s. next week for another round on talks on reestablishing diplomatic ties. u.s. officials and the cuban counterparts will sit down in washington to discuss reopening embassies which have been closed for 50 years. raul castro says he expects an exchange of ambassadors once cuba is taken off the list of state sponsorers of terrorism. >>> the first u.s. orchestra will play in havana. >> reporter: the minnesota orchestra will be playing here in havana. the first of two performs will take place tonight. the musicians are also spending time coaching and playing with students. >> translator: we learn about their way of interpreting music, their open-mindedness about it about their principles everything. >> reporter: the visit is historic on several months. it's the first visits to cuba in more than 80 years, and the first orchestra to perform since president obama took steps to normalize relationship ea