Saudi Strikes Fail to Slow Houthis’ Offensive on Aden

Strikes Not Slowing Houthis' Advance

Yemen’s Shi’ite Houthis are continuing their advance against the key southern city of Aden today, with reports coming out of the region of fierce fighting in several districts of the former South Yemen capital city.

Fighters loyal to exiled former President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi claimed to have recaptured the Aden airport, though the airstrikes from Saudi forces have rendered much of it useless at any rate.

Five days of Saudi airstrikes have killed scores of civilians, including 45 today in an attack on a refugee camp. So far, however, they don’t seem to have even slowed the Houthis, their stated targets.

Rather, Houthi forces seem to be gaining ground at least as rapidly as ever, challenging the Sunni Islamist factions in Shabwa as well as the remaining loyalists of the Hadi regime.

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.