in the areas of capital sanaa. as of now the targets have been the sanaa national airport the air force headquarters. houthi targets houthi headquarters the council offices, the gathering points, anything that had a houthi forces, even the missile by grade in sanaa would also attack. so this is a full-scale war right now in sanaa starting one hour ago and by morning we'll know the damages, we cannot see the damages, we cannot leave our houses because of the nightfall. by early morning think sanaa will be different than it was an hour ago. >> are the air strikes continuing as we speak? >> they are nonstop every second. you hear by the second a different location around sanaa of so that's why i said earlier that the sanaa of the morning will be different than the sanaa of last night. completely different. and all these air strikes for sure will have had a result especially since now we have to come from the airport that they targeted the yemeni military airport directly, trying to handicap the airport and have succee

they hit the airport in sanaa. you need to know it's not only a civilian airport right next to it is a military airport. norssforces loyal to the toppled president. coalition struck at the hudaya airport as well as sanaa airport. a number of targets. i think as the hours advance it will be clearer and i think it's wider, the number of targets that have been struck so far. >> any idea right now of the casualties from these air strikes? >> we vice president had a word yet. however i was listening to the yemeni foreign minister however he hailed those air strikes and said they were carried out in great precision. so he didn't mention anything about casualties. i think however if the operation widens and there could be more air strikes we could see a number of casualties follow. there are reports within the yemeni media local media saying there is a high number of casualties within the military personnel. those are soldiers, based in the different military air bases in sanaa and elsewhere. >> and omar, this strikes the

air strikes targeted sanaa and aden. in sanaa the presidential palace, the police and special forces headquarters have been bombed. attacks were launched on sanaa's airport and nearby decliny air base. in aden alanard air base was targeted. we have seen specific tart there that have been targeted by the saudi coalition. what is behind the military strategy. >> i think it's to weaken and degrade the capability of the houthis, and the yemeni military to topple the president saleh. an air base was destroyed, radar, missile positions, command and control centers. sanaa's airport was hit, and the strong sealed for the houthis was targeted. i think there's a bank of targets, the saudis and they'll destroy, if not already destroyed. if not they'll destroy them in the coming hours or days. >> we are talking about infrastructure that has been affected. you have been to yemen before are the targets near civilian areas, in which civilians could be effected? >> no they are not. main military bases are on the outskirts of sanaa, mayb

>> again, everyone in sanaa has to wake up. it began with a massive explosion that shook the houses of sanaa. people got up and went to the streets thinking that the explosion happened next door while everyone in the capital sanaa thought the same thing. it was a heavy explosion to begin with. >> i was trying to find out if you were expecting any sort of strike in this form. we have been hearing for the last few days that the saudi arabia forces massed troops along the border. there were no indications whatsoever of air strikes like this. >> there were no indications but the houthis are using antitank missiles to ensure the air strikes do not succeed. again, they took the houthis by surprise, especially in this late hour of the day, and the attacks did not happen while abd-rabbu mansour hadi was fleeing or running away or being defeated. it happened during the nightfall when people did not expect and the houthis thought fitry was a given. right now, it's a different scenario, and the houthis will have a hard time convincing the

more from hasham barahawa. >> airstrikes hit including in the capital city sanaa.ets have bombed ammunition at those airports and long-range rocket launchers in sanaa, sada, ib and hadadah. this is an aftermath. the destroyed helicopters, fighter jets and a fuel facility. the saudis have also deployed thousands of soldiers along the border they share with yemen. >> the houthis are a group of malitias that stage add coup. they have expanded because of the backing of former president and the iranians. >> saudi-led airstrikes seem to be weakening houthi fighters who have started to retreat from the south according to local sources. sunni tribesmen are on the move to recapture areas they lost in the last few weeks. these are houthi fighters killed in an ambush while in the southern city of lahague. the summit in egypt has been dominated by the deteriorating security situation. the saudis are and their allies say the airstrikes will continue until the houthis disband their malitias. they also insist that president abdullah sahadi who has fled the country is yemen's legi

so far air strikes have targeted both sanaa and aden. in sanaa the presidential palace, police and special forces headquarters have been bombed. attacks were also launch odd sanaa's airport and a near air bay in aden. it was tagger he had. the current crisis in yemen can also be viewed in terms the competing regional interest. iran has been. teheran has also said to have supplied weapons weapons and logistical support to the group. this has irked saudi arabia, the saudis have supported different groups, including the former leader sal lee and now hadi. observers say it's a battle for regional see sue prem identity see between saudi arabia and iran that is now playing out in yemen. >>> the white house press secretary spoke about the situation in yemen before this aways announced. >> the united states believe that his president hadi is the legitimate leader of yemen. and we have seen violentest on parts of the houthis and other acting in concert with president saleh to ferment instability inside that country. there are elements of the yeme

during this time he was in sanaa he never actually left the country. he left to get treatment in saudi arabia after a mosque in his presidential palace was attacked. ever since he hasn't let go of any of the authorities and powers that haste had on the ground. -- that he has had on the ground. >> how do you see things dwoption from earthingsdeveloping from here on? will the conflict get worse or will the supporters of former president saleh be forced to go back to the negotiating table? >> well unfortunately because president hadi fled the country the only political authority that has power are the houthi group. we have other factions, the jmp a coalition of parties that allied themselves, the problem with these political parties in yemen they are very old they don't have a vision to save yemen economically. they don't know what they have in mind for yemen for the future. so the houthis gaining control was actually a positive thing for change. it could have meant some stability. however if we weaken the houthis that leaves room, could possibly leave ro

i live in sanaa. they are well secure especially sanaa, we haven't seen sanaa in this way like safe, as much as we see it today. there is no checkpoint on the street and everything is going well. so i do think 30 no reason or scut reason to change the -- are i don't think there is any reason to change the situation. >> the arab league ministers are very worried about what's going on in yemen. they are going to be meeting in cairo the discuss the situation. what role do you think arab league nations should play? >> i think they can help like in maybe given guarantees to parties to continue talks. which be i don't think this is going to change, it must be in the capital where it started. >> thanks very much indeed for that. hussein al bakati speaking to us live from sanaa. still to come. students protest in myanmar against a new law which they say is stifling academic freedom about plus: >> i'm haru mutasa. i'll have a report coming up. >> the stream, >> your digital community >> you pick the hot topics

once the houthis took sanaa daily flights started between tehran and sanaa. a saudi arabia interest, they have a concern of the rise of the houthis. their them before. the same time, they run something of a risk by supporting hadi if he is not going to survive. the factories have been for a much involved in backing and supporting some of the tribal groups who are looking to oppose the houthis'expansion and preparing to fight the houthis if they move into their areas. so the saudi's are concerned because of the complete collapse in yemen not only raises the issue of terrorism issues, but it also means they have the risk of yemenis running over the border looking for money employment, and also when you get the worsening humanitarian situation, which there is in yemen, if it does fall into an all-out war and a civil war they're going to be many people looking to flee yemen over the border into saudi arabia. amy: lastly, property yemeni journalist was assassinated in the capital. abdul kareem al-khaiwani was reportedly shot dead near his home by gunmen riding a m

bringing breaking news coming to us from yemen and hearing of a suicide attack on a mosque in sanaa.aring according to roiters two killed and two injuries on two mosques in sanaa and after attacks in aiden and south of the country and led to the president fleeing from his home there, as soon as we get more details about the double attack on two mosques during friday prayers in sanaa we will let you know. israel's prime minister appears to have softened his tone on ruling out a palestinian state and benjamin netanyahu comments sparked international criticism from the white house. patty has that story. >> reporter: israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu won reelection but comments that helped him get the victory could cost him and country. in the run up to election he clearly said if he won there would be no independent palestinian state. not while he was prime minister. at the white house that was seen as a clear betrayal sensing the anger netanyahu granted his first election post interview to an american network arguing he didn't change his policy. >> what has changed is the reali

new video from houthi tv shows images of damaged buildings in the capital of sanaa. the station claims the attacks have killed women and children. >> meanwhile, the houthis have opened fire on saudi jet fighters near the capital of sanaa. the saudi ambassador to the u.s. says military action was the country's final option. >> objective is to defend the legitimate government of president hadi from the takeover attempts by the houthi militias in yemen. the use of force is always the last resort. and it is with great reluctance that we took the step along with our partners in the gcc countries, scas long as outsidef the gcc countries. >> a journalist is in sanaa where he says explosions have been rattling the city. listen to this. >> reporter: started off with that massive explosion that shook all the houses sanaa. each person who heard the explosion thought that the explosion was next to his own residence. whale it was -- covered the entire 40 kilometers of sanaa. this happened in other areas. and yemens are worried -- yemenis are worried that in the long term where sh

appears to have been the capital sanaa. omar al saleh reports. >> for the third night the coalition strikes houthi targets. air defense batteries supply routes and weapons depot. >> we were attacked by the coalition, now the air base is under the control of the yemeni army. we will continue to target their movement, their concentration of forces. until we clarify all the areas that they are controlling now. >> in the meantime, yemen's president abd rabbu mansour hadi arrived in egypt to attend the arab summit. hadi is widely recognized as yemen's legitimate leader, he had called for intervention and probably will call for more political support to end the houthi takeover of his country. the shia houthis swept through the capital sanaa in september. they stormed his presidential palace in january. he resigned and was put under house arrest. he then fled to aden and rejected his resignation. they want to hold elections they have powerful friends get help with iran and have relations with the former president of yemen ali abda

when i was in sanaa, i was there several times. i was talking to ordinarily yemenis, he's the one the elections have after the toppling of former president, and he won the majority of votes. they see him as legitimate leader for a transitional period and hope it will be peaceful and write a new constitution, hold new elections for the presidency, and parliament. the problem is that that period drags on. it went on for about two years. the national dialogue didn't take place, only after 10 months of delay. when everything was agreed on houthis and supporters within the camp back tracking on everything they agreed on he has legitimacy he was criticized for being week. in his defense he said "i didn't inherit a proper country, yemen is week and divided." it is divided along tribal alliances. he didn't inherit a proper country. >> omar al saleh, great talking to you, our correspondent there, omar al saleh, speaking to us about the event that are happening in >>> live in doha if you have just joined us we have rolling coverage on the ye

for a second night the alliance says it hit military positions in the capital sanaa taiz and sanaa. officials say there is no plan to sends troops at least for you. >> we could be ready for all of the circumstances. our forces are ready for the different threat. air threat or ground threat. for the time being there is no such operation but if need. we will be red ready to face this kind of threat. >> reporter: so far the strikes have crippled the country's air force. the houthi response defiance. >> what go they expect to us do, vendor accept our defeat. act like cowards watch do they expect for us, walk away, collapse absolutely not. >> reporter: but houthi fighters aren't the only ones being hit. houthis say about a dozen civilians were killed in the strikes on thursday. during the day pictures of the hugh i supporters in the capita sanaa which they have held since last year. they are not the only ones in the streets this rally was taken out in favor of the strikes yemen has been unthat i believe for years, all the while the houthis with the support of iran have been expanding the

>> reporter: medical care is hard to come by to a high level in sanaa. hospitals are appealing for blood donations that could impact figures as we move forward. of course these are coming from houthi officials so to some degree they want to explain the level of casualties and trauma that their supporters are following as a result of these blasts. the key thing that america is watching here is quite how this impacts the level of instability in yemen. it's already frankly a failed failing state. deeply volatile because of the loss of government and instability there and u.s. had to close its embassy in sanaa and that has impacted the counterterrorism program. the use of drones and a base there inside yemen. does this potential surge toward sectarian violence which is how it looks like with the mosques being targeted. the hallmarks of al qaeda. does that bring another lightning rod of volatility and violence that's already deeply troubled country. so vital for interests for all nations across the region. brianna? >> vital in a country that the obama adminis

he is based in sanaa, yemen. he recently wrote an op-ed headlined, "welcome to yemen where only violence is a certainty." he last joined us in 2013 when he was in the united states to testify before the senate judiciary subcommittee hearing on the u.s. secret drone program. if you want to know what is going on in yemen, just follow his tweets. i want to welcome you to democracy now!, farea al-muslimi , talked about what is happening on the ground now in the capital. >> it is good to be back with you. sanaa, over the last few days multiple airstrikes led by saudi arabia. a new military operation is backed by saudi arabia and the gulf countries and other regional countries. this comes in response to the houthis seizing power in the capital of yemen. since last week, the political crisis in the country is entered a new dangerous level in the yemen air force entered the [indiscernible] i think by that point, it was the time when the gulf in the region decided to interfere. there's been multiple casualties from the st

also just outside of sanaa, a weapons depo has reportedly been destroyed. we have more now. >> reporter: a third night of airstrikes against houthi rebels and this rare view from the receiving end. this video posted on youtube by an activist shows coalition fighter jets. the coalition said its targets including weapons belonging to special forces west of sanaa. also attacked were missile brigades and special forces headquarters the air base and international airport all in or near the capital of sanaa. >> now it's under control of the yemeni army. we'll continue to target the movement. >> until we control the area that they have now. >> former president ali abdullah saleh has propose the negotiations. >> the first thing is to immediately stop the saudi-led campaign. that should coincide with the military operations from the houthi movement. and return to the negotiation table under the u.n. it the dialogue should be moved to another area. >> the dialogue is an option but only under conditions. >> we insisted on the importance of dialogue. we always asked fo

the tv said this is what is left of part of this distribute in sanaa. the houthi controlled channel says there has been civilian casualties, and showed scenes from the local hospital. >> translation: one of my children was killed another went out crying to the nab ours, but didn't come back. the rest of us are injured, and as you can see, in hospital. may god take revenge on them. we are muslim like them. why can't they leave us yemenis to sort out our own problems. >>> 100 planes were led in a military action. they have only targeted houthi militias, the houthis called for people to join protests against the military action. >> hakim al-masmari is the editor-in-chief of the "yemen post," and joins us from sanaa. a frightening couple of hours. >> very worrying. the death toll is clear. the houthis announce that 19 were killed, mostly civilian including a family of five, more than 35 injured, and many others under the rubble. unknown if they are dead or alive. the air strike targeted one air base the air runways that the houthis would use to launch air s

. >>> saudi led coalition forces are continuing air two strikes on sanaa. this was the scene as positions were bombed. hitting a area for glaised displaced people. hashem ahelbarra reports. >> these are the victims of a suze of saudi led air strike. dozens were killed or injured. it is the highest death toll since the military intervention in yemen. the houthis say the victims were civilians who were forced out of their villages in the fast and sought refuge on this camp on the border with saudi arabia. saudi arabiaian officers say houthis are to blame. >> translator: moving to areas where you have civilians we stress we to our best to prevent civilian carnlts. we reply to a source of fire, we have no confirmation this was a refugee camp. >> reporter: the saudi led air strikes targeted houthi provisions in southern areas. their aim to prevent them from advancing towards the seaport area of aden. ammunition batteries and antiaircraft areas were also hit. capital of sanaa to denounce the air strikes. >> this congregation aggression does not affect us, we are

it comes a day after targeting of houthis killing 137 people in two mosques in sanaa. there have been demonstrations in the south. anti-houthi protesters gather where gunmen fired into the air trying to disperse the crowd but there were no reports of any casualties. well houthis who have taken over the capitol of sanaa have now flown hundreds of fighters to taiz where mr. president hadi has been taking refugee since escaping forced house arrest in sanaa last month. there have been fighting between hadi loyalists and those loyal to ali abdullah saleh. al-qaeda fighters killing around 20 soldiers before being driven out by the army. president hadi has given his first speech since fleeing from the capital. he called on the houthi >> as the president my job is to invite all political parties and components including those who carried out the coup to come together and create targets and goals for the people of yemen. >> spokesman for the houthies said that president hadi is working with with al-qaeda. >> a lot of al-qaeda fighters are in these villages. also what has happen

shia houthi already control sanaa and the airport and taiz. they are headed to aden where president hadi has taken refuge. >> in yemen it's going from bad to worse. at a meeting at the u.n. security council that was the key message from jamal benoamar. >> yemen is far and away from a peaceful settlement. >> and grave comparisons of what the country is facing. >> and pushing the country in either direction gives the iraq, syria scenario. >> protesters angry that houthi forces arrived in their city, surrounding the barracks of security forces. >> we will refuse deject and denounce these militias. we will surround the police baraks with our bodies until they leave. >> first the houthies overtook the capital of sanaa and now they're closing in on president hadi and his stronghold in aden. the security council once again called on the houthi to halt their advance. >> the security council condemns the elections unilateral actions taken by the outs jeopardizing stability, sovereignty and stability of yemen and express deep concern of the lack of impl

he joins us from the capital of sanaa via skype. what is the situation in sanaa now? >> the streets have been empty for the past four or five hours. the airstrikes would start and those who remain in sanaa go indoors. right now, i can say that continues of thousands if not a hundred thousand have left right now. there has been no traffic. it's been a traumatic change from last week to this week. the latest airstrike started two hours ago. they stopped but they're expected to return and intensify, and that's why many children who remain in sanaa don't leap during the night because of the airstrikes. and children have to cover their ears to hear the explosions happening whale they wake up and cry. >> the people who are leaving sanaa, where are they going? >> those who leave have different options. either they go to the rural area of sanaa, which is see nothing clashes, no airstrikes. or they go to their province of origin. if you're from aden, you go to aden. those families who are more well off, they go to and stay in a hotel for a month or so. but right now the issue

also coming up the first direct flight from tehran and in sanaa the yemeni capitol controlled by shia rebels said to be backed by iran. protests in gaza after an egyptian court grants hamas a terrorist organization. israel's prime minister flies to washington and into a glory growing storm over his upcoming speech to congress. why many kennians believe the switch from analog t.v. is about giving viewers less choice and not more. warm welcome to the program. it was a protest of defiance two days after the murder of prominent kremlin critic borition nemtsov. tens of thousands of people have marched through moscow carrying banners declaring that they are not afraid despite the opposition leaders killing in the shadow of the criminallin. he had been due to lead a protest rally on sunday against russia's role in the war in ukraine fellow opposition leader is serving a 15-day jail sentence for handing out leaflets promoting the event. the march passed off peacefully but ukrainian politician koranko was detained on suspicion of being involved in a fire in ukraine last year which killed four

in september, when the houthis came into sanaa. they were welcome by most peep. they were seen as a stabilizing force, nonideological. they were not i.s.i.s., and the government, abd-rabbu mansour hadi's government signed a partnership plan with them. there was a new technocratic cabinet that came in, that most thought was an improvement. power-sharing, and it looked like it was about to work. and then the houthis probably overreached, i think, is probably what happened. and we went from a september, october, november where a lot of us thought this might in its own way work to all of a sudden house arrests, and abd-rabbu mansour hadi leaving, and as you say, the houthis are running sanaa, but don't know how to govern. and abd-rabbu mansour hadi is in aden, with no territory. someone described it has a firing squad. you have the former president sort of in a calition with the houthis, really playing their own power game, and they are all able to negate each other, but none of them are able to run the country. short answer - no one is running the country. >> the un

the bombings have expanded from sanaa to tiaz.g said that these countries are showing support to saudi arabia first and foremost. and some people on the ground and certainly the leader of the rudies thinks that he can survive this. he has urged the yemeni people to protest this all over the world. having said that, the saudis saudis, --ed saudi-led air strikes are attacking military air bases and trying to destroy whatever is leftover of the yemeni military infrastructure on the ground. the houthis are a militia and so even if they destroy the military the militia of the houthi will continue to exist. and in all of their activity at thises on the ground in yemen they have pushed south not using any of the navy bases however they remember expanding using their forces on the ground and just traditional alliances with local forces. so it's possible that if they are angered enough they'll try to age saudi back and kind of retaliate. of the from their narrative it seems that they are very angry and they want to seek revenge and that's

al jazeera peru. >> sanaa with sport. you? >> thank you lauren. there have been 229 classico meetings. late later on sunday comes another that will have a huge bearing on the spanish title race. just over an hour favorites to win messi will take to the field following his starring role from the champions league. madrid won the last two matches between the pair barca lead the table by a point. >> what makes leo different is how he interprets the game and his ability to read the game and despite what the team needs to do. he does that assisting, defending, numbers in scoring are not the only thing to value. it is his interpretation and the way he reads the game. >> real have their own. ronaldo has scored two league goals, fewer than messi so far this season. there are 11 games to play all concerned know this is likely to be the big one. >> i think it's in the quarterfinals. he has scored. he has helped others to score. he hasn't been fully on top but given a lot of himself. i am not going to demand more from him than other players other than to do o

two of them hitting key areas in sanaa, the yemeni capital. the albada mosque. al qaeda's practices across the region. suicide bombers entering each mosque targeting worshippers. a car bomb outsided outside of one and outside the other a suicide bomber exploded. the houthi group is the predominant target. they are predominantly shia and this is from the zaidi group. the death toll may be as high as 77 brianna, with potentially 200 injured. hospitals putting out an urgent appeal for blood on state tv. let me wind you back as to why this is such a significant attack. for months now there's been greater unrest than normal in the beleaguered country of yemen. the government pushed aside by this group known as the houthis who are predominantly shiias. they've swept away the current government. they put in their own not recognized by the west government of sorts, but we've seen violence escalate here, and what the fear is potentially today, that these mosques targeted are from that shia houthi grouping. potentially this may mark if it turns out al qaeda, predominantly

the next month hadi fled sanaa for aden in the south and withdrew his resignation. houthi rebels announced they they were seizing power and would replace hadi with a council. made a plea to the international community. >> yemen is collapsing before our eyes. we cannot stand by and watch. >> reporter: and the u.s. temporarily closed its embassy in yemen citing the risk that renewed violence would threaten the diplomatic community in sanaa. roxana saberi, al jazeera. >> yemeni analyst writes her blog yemeneri. , it's good to have you with us. with the houthis overrunning the country, the president fleeing now saudi arabia gets involved with these air strikes. but is this too little too late to save the yemeni government that was allied with the united states? >> i think in my opinion any kind of action that's going to create more trouble on the ground, any kind of warfare any kind of attacks are not going to result in peace. the situation was already tense. in the north we had a houthi militia supported by the form he president saleh and in the south, the president ha

they are not yet even leave sanaa, those under house arrest.understand that if mahmoud joins hadi this is going to be a boon for hadi until his attempts to shift the power center from sanaa to aden and is a blow to the houthis because they have been trying to prevent that from happening. the houthis are trying to confirm for the ministers, also still under house arrest and those who are not to stay in sanaa to join their work in sanaa and not to join hadi and you see there is this type of war between the two fighters now aden being a kind of temporary capital because hadi has been recognized by the regional powers, international powers and the local support inside yemen. so one of the ministers to the hadi side is probably going to lead to the houthi south. >> mohammed vall on the foam from the yemeni city of aden, the yemeni defense minister has escaped house arrest in sanaa thought to be on his way to aden to join president hadi. the u.n. says there has been significant progress be in talks between libya's rifle faxes. they have agreed to for

that is why you have negative reactions in sanaa.ituation is a little bit different in other parts where air strikes are enjoying actually support because they are hitting the houthis. >> and there is this talk of possibly a ground invasion taking place suggestions, nothing concrete as of now how would people react to that? >> well to us a lot of yemen people this is da-ja-view of what happened in 2009 on the saudi border and ended up houthis taking villages in saudi arabia and village where most of the clashes are happening right now. after three months of fighting the saudis and houthis didn't win and had a ceasefire. we have to remember the terrain up there is very harsh and the houthis are not trained very well and so they have advantage and saudis try to attempt what they did in 2009 now they incur heavy losses and most people know that and see hesitation on behalf of saudis to commit to a ground invasion. alternatively if there is a ground invasion through aiden in the south it will be much easier tan trying to attempt that in

> reporter: saudi air strikes have hit nine of yemens provinces, including the houthi-held capital sanaarikes lit up the sky. target a military base and weapons storage facility which belongings to the yemeni republican guard. the focus isn't just on houthi strong holds but also on protecting the port city of aden. it's the main base for president mon soar hadi's supporters. air strikes in the south are targeting convoys of reinforcements and what saudi describes as houthi command centers like this one while co since forces control the skies navel forces are moving to block yemen's ports, in a bid to stop rebel fighters from rearming. teheran denies it's backing the houthi but yemen don't make accusations. >> there are a number of iranian revolutionary guards operating on the guard but recently started operating in the hope. open. mercenaries some from lebanon syria all operating under the guidance of iran. >> reporter: the coalition says its military campaign will continue until houthi fighters and soldiers loyal to deposed president hands over their weapons and join talks to find a pol

. >> first the houthis overtook the camtal of sanaa, forcing the president to flee to addeng.ow they have moving toward the president. aden is a short distance away from taiz. the president has been trying to hold on to power. >> i stress the following: firstly, evacuation of all armed malitias from the industry. secondly withdrawal from other cities. >> that sdifsh seem likely. the united states seems to agree. it should down its embassy and pulled troops from an air force base in the south of the country. now, the u.n. will try to see if it can find a solution before things did the ear ate into a full-blown war in yemen. natasha gname, al jazeera. >> houthi leader has viewed to pursue isil fighters who claimed responsibility for the sanaa suicide attacks. he said yemen was dessending into libya-style strife and he mobilized forces against isil and al-qaeda. >> they have crossed the red lines, violated everything everyone has targeted. these groups feel no shame killing children or editorial, even killing people in hospitals and mosques. this level of crime aims at hugh milat

but the target right now is sanaa. taking place just in sanaa from >> people must be panicking is there any place to flee and get cover? >> people are trying to find basement and place to harbor, keep their children safe in sanaa. again this just started. people are just starting to panic, by team tomorrow when the damages are seen and destruction, then people will really start panic. >> a member of the houthi governor council says this will trigger an all-out war in the region. >> i do expect the houthis within this week to start invading saudi arabia, that's what their officials informed us if saudi intervened they would attack. this is going to be a long war. it's not over today. it's not a one-day success saudi arabia for my experience will see a lot of devastation because of the houthi houthi militants who were able to defeat president hadi within hours will have a very hard time with saudi arabia. but they are insistent that they have the manpower to do so with 10s of thousands ready to fight for them. >> the saudis say they want the houthis to take part in the pretty cal process

firstly, the evacuation of all armed militias secondly the withdrawal of all gunmen from sanaa and other cities. >> that is unlikely and the united states seems to think so. it's pulling troops out of an air base in the south. a set back for the fight against al qaeda, with an off shoot based in yemen. >> this makes all the sense in the world, a limited number of troops, specifically to take on the war for the fight against al qaeda. they don't want the forces caught in what may become a full-plon civil war. that may be a conflict with the houthis, backed by i.s.i.l. and various factions. a nightmare scenario for washington's neighbours. it gave a glimpse for what a civil war could many. yemen is dogged by security with the third highest ownership and is faced with a security challenge. >> to libya. hopes of nailing down an agreement in morocco are looking unlikely. they are on the verge of collapse. on the ground there has been fighting in and around tripoli. hashem ahelbarra reports from the moroccan parliament. they are divided and enable to reach a compromises. delegations try to sti

meanwhile, a new coalition has been formed against the houthies in sanaa. the president and his close aids remain in the city of aden after escapeing house arrest last month. we have reports on the political stand off. >> reporter: there is a power vacuum in yemen and iran appears to be capitalizing ton. since the shia houthies forced him to flee the capitol iran has found a willing partner. a houthi spokesman said that they'll provide yemen with enough oil to last a year. the houthi's say that the pledge of support will boost the economy and bilateral relations. a spokesman for the exiled government said that the only ones getting a boost from this deal are the houthis. >> the iranian interference is merely about military support to some militia or militia groups. iran has then supported any country economically. the most important point hire is the yemeni daily consumption of oil. iran cannot afford that kind of money. >> it follows the the announcement of direct flights between the two countries for the first time. the yemeni government fears future flig

meanwhile the saudi led have air strikes hit sa hit sanaa sada and abas. omar al saleh reports. >> to curb the rise of the shia houthi fighters, hadi is talking tough. >> withdraw from all provinces it occupies, leave state institutions and military bases and lay down its arms and return all the weapons it seized. >> reporter: leading the war against the houthis is saudi arabia. remains open for dialogue with conditions. >> we wish we didn't have to take this decision, but we stress that riyadh is opening its door to all from yemen to meet under the umbrella of the gcc within the state's legitimacy reject the coup against it and stop threats from other countries. >> gulf states are nervous about the rise of iran, they feel iran's influence is creeping closer. by support of the houthis in the south. air strikes are now hitting positions just on the other side of that border joined by artillery from the saudi saudi side. fighter jets struck multiple targets, including command and control centers and weapons depo. dep depots. at the start of the military camp

will continue against the houthis in generally until they lay down their weapons and withdraw from sanaare we have more. >> reporter: air strikes hit targets across the country including in the capital sanaa. jets from the saudi-led coalition have bomb the ammunition depots, airports and long-range rocket launchers in sanaa, sadder, ib and others. this is the aftermath of an attack on the air base in the capital. it destroyed helicopters fighter jets and a fuel facility. the saudis have also deployed thousands of soldiers along the border they share with yemen. >> translator: the houthis are a group of militias that staged a coup. they have expanded because of the backing of former president and the iran iranians. >> reporter: saudi-led air strikes seem to be weakening houthi fighters who have start today retreat from areas in the south according to local sources. sunni tribes men are on the move to recapture areas they lost in the last few weeks. these are houthi fighters killed in an ambush while mount southern city. the arab summit in egypt has been dominated by yemen's deteriorating

it's important for me to mention that there is no such thing as separate military camps in sanaa sanaa. this is a problem that former president salah created. all the military camps are within residential areas right beside my house there is a camp. we are a very mixed socio system, these are civilians surrounding those camps. the saudi aircraft are shelling in the north and iranian supported militia is advancing in the south. and the only victim is civilians from this side and the other. and even those dieing on the front are poor yemenis who are paid for fight a war that is not even theirs. >> sarah, have you any idea of the sorts of casualtys yet from these air strikes? >> nothing yet. i tried calling a couple of friends who live right next to a air force base but no response yet. i can only imagine what it's like over there. and also we need -- the morning will tell us about the casualties as in physical deaths. but we need to understand that -- i mean, there are other ramramifications besides the deaths. i think it's not too late to stop this madness i think there is still a chanc

the coalition said that it's targets west of the capital of sanaa. they hit air defense sites. also attacked were missile brigades. and the yemeni air base and international airport all in or near the capital of sanaa. >> we will have concentration of forces until we clarify all the area they're controlling now. >> the houthies remain defiant but their main ally former president ali abdullah saleh has called for negotiations. >> we propose the following initiative. first is to stop the saudi-led campaign. that would coincide with the operations by the houthi movement. and an honest return to the negotiating table to the u.n. >> international recognized governments say political dialogue is still an option but only under conditions. >> we insisted on the importance of dialogue. we always asked for it and still do. but it has to be on equal grounds. where we wouldn't have one side dominate the other. it has to be under the legality of the president and the state not under the legality of the coup of the militia institution. >> any sort of dialogue to end the fighting seems to be

the next month hadi fled sanaa for his native city of aden in the south. and withdraw his resignation. houthi rebels announced they were seizing power and would where he place hadi with a transitional council. that much garnering worldwide condemnation includes the u.s. which has closed it's em bass i in yemen and removed all military personnel. that statement from the national security council spokeswomen goes through the usual litany, they are hoping for a political dialogue for a transition of power as a result of that dialogue. those goals seem quite unrealistic given the events of the past 24 to 48 hours. >> and given that, mike and with the u.s. already stretched thin with conflicts from iraq and syria to afghanistan could yemen be next? >> reporter: it's doubtful the united states will enter in war in any meaningful way. it's virtually out of question for that matter. when they talk about logistical support. there is a drone bay an american base in africa. many of the drone strikes launched by the united states not against the houthis but against al

on friday blasts hit two pro-houthi mosques in sanaa and a blast hit the strong hold of sanaa. 137 were killed in total. there are growing fears that the country is descending into civil war. the country pulled its forces from an air base. it's attacked by an al qaeda linked group on an administration compound. 21 soldiers have been killed. a political analyse and editor-in-chief joins us live from the capital sanaa. good to have you on the show. lots happening. let's talk about what's happening in teesiaz. we heard about shooting of protesters. tell us about the march of houthis. >> yes, there are shots against protesters. this is rare in tiaz. houthis attack areas that are considered a stronghold. this is the first time they attacked protesters in tiaz showing that militants are travelling or using it as a launching pad for their next movement. hundreds of houthi fighters and militants entered tiaz last night and the escalation in attacks against protesters showed what would happen next when the houthis start to expand. military leaders are opposing the houthis. and opposing could lea

,sanaa, prompted the u.s.shutdown its embassy and forced 100 american commando to his beat a hasty retreat out of the country. denying the u.s. a base of operations to go after al qaeda in the arabian peninsula and the pentagon said degraded its ability to target suspected terrorists. from the u.s. perspective the problem was iran. >> sir, i would say that in terms of the long-term threat in the region, iran is the greatest threat. >> reporter: but then enter saudi arabia and its gulf state partners with air strikes and ground troops. and now the shia houthi forces have a fight on their hands and iran's influence is in question. >> the operations that were launched last night led by saudi arabia and i think nine other sunni nations is an effort by arab allies to fight back against an iranian inspired aggression. >> reporter: the u.s. is playing a small but important role behind the scenes, quietly providing the saudis with targeting imagery and logistical advice at a secret arab base. >> they didn't have comma

president abd rabbu mansour hadi fled house arrest in sanaa and is trying to establish the government in aden. saudi arabia's foreign minister says the standoff in yemen can be resolved peacefully, he won't see a political solution but says gulf countries will take the necessary steps if that doesn't happy. charlie angela has the story. >> residents are not going quietly, in return they're fired on and tear gassed. their city yemen's third largest was taken on sunday. with government buildings and its international airport now under houthi control. yemen is increaseingly divided by a north controlled by houthis and south ruled by president abd rabbu mansour hadi. holding back the houthi advance. >> translator: they are expanding in territory occupying airports and cities, attacking aden by planes. threatening and gathering their forces. we have expressed to the gulf cooperation council the united nations and the international community that this should be a no-fly zone. >> reporter: this is what a gcc force could look like. originally set up to respond to military forces from bahrain

last week this... ..bombing of two mosques in sanaa. it was not clear who was behind the attack but the hewitt yis responded. the president abd-rabbu mansour hadi is now in saudi arabia, and is recognised by the saudi arabia-led coalition and world powers as the legitimate leader. the alliance has ben doorsed by the nation -- been endorsed by the arab leg nations. the saudi-led intervention is seen in the region. for the yemenis, hopes of a peaceful solution are dwindling >>> the arab league is among those supporting the air strikes. egypt stated its support and participation. the military action was announced in a joined statement signed by saudi arabia bahrain and kuwait. jordan egypt and morocco say their planes have been involved in strikes. saddan said air and ground forces will take part. and turkey says it may provide logistical support. the pakistan government is sending a high level delegation including military officials to saudi arabia. let's get more from nicole johnson, joining us from islamabad. we know that pakistan has s

this happened in sanaa. turbulent capital of yemen.rying out coordinated attacks on not just one but two shiite