Last night, over 100 Saudi Arabian Air Force jets bombed Yemen's capital, San'a. The air strikes ostensibly targeted pro-Houthi installations, with the aim of stopping the advance of forces aligned with Ansar Allah and former president 'Ali 'Abdullah Saleh. Earlier in the day, President Hadi--who has been running a government-in-exile from the southern city of Aden--called on the GCC and United Nations to authorize military intervention against his enemies. Meanwhile, available reports indicate that Hadi fled the country yesterday, as pro-Houthi/pro-Saleh forces entered Aden. US Secretary of State John Kerry spoke with GCC leaders this morning, and confirmed that the United States supports the bombing campaign, which at present involves all GCC states with the exception of Oman. Egyptian, Pakistani, and Sudanese forces also appear to be involved.
The Yemen Peace Project strongly condemns US support for military intervention in Yemen. The GCC strikes are not likely to have a positive impact on political negotiations, and are making life for ordinary Yemenis in the capital much harder. According to official sources, at least 25 Yemenis were killed overnight in the bombings. Many San'a residents are reportedly fleeing the capital, or are moving away from Houthi-controlled areas within the city. Fuel and electricity are unavailable in many parts of the city as well.