Saudi Warplanes Escalate Strikes on Yemeni Capital Ahead of Truce

Houthis Claim Warplane Involved in Strikes Shot Down

Saudi warplanes, along with the warplanes of allied nations, pounded the Yemeni capital city of Sanaa in increased amounts today, setting off major explosions at an arms depot on the outskirts of town.

Numerous airstrikes were reported not only in Sanaa, but against a number of other cities, including Taiz, with the Saudis apparently hoping to get a number of hits in before the humanitarian pause begins on Tuesday night.

The escalation also saw a plane from allied Morocco lost over Yemen as well, with the Houthis reporting they had shot down the F-16. Morocco would only confirm the jet was “missing.”

The Houthis and their allies in Yemen’s military, have regularly fired anti-aircraft guns against the planes bombing their cities, though largely without results.

This is the second warplane lost in the air campaign against Yemen, though the first one simply crashed into the Arabian Sea off the coast after an apparent technical issue.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.