Yemen officials say 43 dead in Aden after Houthi shelling

A bombardment in Aden by the Houthi militia and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh killed 43 people and injured 173 yesterday, the health ministry of Yemen's exiled government said two days after declaring the city had been liberated.

Clashes continued in the city’s northern districts of Dar al-Saad and Sabr, and in Maashiq in Crater district as local fighters backed by the Riyadh-based government and a Saudi-led Arab coalition pushed to seize remaining parts of Aden.

Those fighters and Yemeni army forces loyal to exiled president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi seized Aden's airport and other central areas in a sudden advance last week that broke months of deadlock in the city.

Their advance was aided by Gulf efforts to train and equip Yemeni army forces loyal to Hadi and transport them to Aden, Yemen’s second largest city and its main port.

Local fighters in Aden have been supported by coalition air strikes for nearly four months, but often fly the flag of a southern Yemen separatist movement rather than voicing loyalty to Hadi.

The Saudi-led coalition began its campaign in March, in a bid to reverse months of advances by the Houthis after they moved from their northern stronghold last year, capturing the capital Sanaa and pushing south to Aden.

Riyadh fears its enemy Iran will use its alliance with the Houthis to influence the country, ultimately threatening the Saudi border. – (Reuters)