39 civilians killed in Yemen since Saudi-led strikes begin
28 March 2015 12:59 AM GMT
Twelve of the victims were killed when a raid against a military base north of Sanaa hit surrounding residential areas, officials from the rebel-controlled ministry told AFP.
Witnesses said warplanes targeted Al-Samaa base, which is used by army units believed to take orders from their former commander Ahmed Ali Saleh.
Saleh is the son of ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who is accused of allying with the Huthi rebels against President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.
At dawn on Friday, three air strikes hit the presidential compound in south Sanaa which the rebels seized last month, witnesses said.
Overnight raids targeted another army brigade loyal to Saleh in the eastern province of Marib, tribal
sources said. A military official told AFP that Saudi-led coalition jets also bombed a large arms depot in a third army camp used by forces loyal to the former strongman.
The official spoke of “dozens” of casualties at the camp, located in Sanaa’s southern outskirts, but the information could not be independently verified.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Friday that the country will not take part in any conflict that would divide the Muslim world, in an apparent reference to Pakistan’s possible participation in the conflict in Yemen.
“We will not take part in any conflict that could result in differences in the Muslim world, causing fault-lines present in Pakistan to be disturbed, the aggravation of which will have to be borne by Pakistan,” Asif asserted, according to a Dawn online report on Friday. Asif’s reference to “fault-lines” hints at Pakistan’s widespread sectarian conflict, as a result of which Shia and other religious minorities are targeted in tit-for-tat killings by extremist groups.
The defence minister elucidated Pakistan’s role in the Yemen conflict in the National Assembly, saying that no decision to participate had been taken and that Pakistan had only pledged to safeguard the territorial integrity of Saudi Arabia.
“Instead of aggravating the situation by participating in it, Pakistan should do what it can to prevent it -- for the alliance and unity of the Muslim world,” the defence minister said.
He stressed on Pakistan’s role as a “facilitator” to end the conflicts in the Muslim world.
“Pakistan is ready to adopt whatever role is needed in order to facilitate the termination of conflicts in the Islamic world,” Asif said.
Gulf states ask UN Security Council for Yemen arms embargo
United Nations: Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies presented powerful members of the UN Security Council with suggested elements for a resolution that would impose an arms embargo on the Shiite rebels who have thrown Yemen into turmoil and caused its Western-backed president to flee.
Diplomats said after a meeting Thursday evening with ambassadors from the United States, Britain and France that members of the Gulf Coordination Council want the resolution to be militarily enforceable under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter.
The GCC members also presented the Security Council president with a letter explaining that their airstrikes targeting military installations held by the Houthi rebels are in response to President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi’s request this week for immediate aid as the rebels closed in.
Witnesses said warplanes targeted Al-Samaa base, which is used by army units believed to take orders from their former commander Ahmed Ali Saleh.
Saleh is the son of ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who is accused of allying with the Huthi rebels against President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.
At dawn on Friday, three air strikes hit the presidential compound in south Sanaa which the rebels seized last month, witnesses said.
Overnight raids targeted another army brigade loyal to Saleh in the eastern province of Marib, tribal
sources said. A military official told AFP that Saudi-led coalition jets also bombed a large arms depot in a third army camp used by forces loyal to the former strongman.
The official spoke of “dozens” of casualties at the camp, located in Sanaa’s southern outskirts, but the information could not be independently verified.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Friday that the country will not take part in any conflict that would divide the Muslim world, in an apparent reference to Pakistan’s possible participation in the conflict in Yemen.
“We will not take part in any conflict that could result in differences in the Muslim world, causing fault-lines present in Pakistan to be disturbed, the aggravation of which will have to be borne by Pakistan,” Asif asserted, according to a Dawn online report on Friday. Asif’s reference to “fault-lines” hints at Pakistan’s widespread sectarian conflict, as a result of which Shia and other religious minorities are targeted in tit-for-tat killings by extremist groups.
The defence minister elucidated Pakistan’s role in the Yemen conflict in the National Assembly, saying that no decision to participate had been taken and that Pakistan had only pledged to safeguard the territorial integrity of Saudi Arabia.
“Instead of aggravating the situation by participating in it, Pakistan should do what it can to prevent it -- for the alliance and unity of the Muslim world,” the defence minister said.
He stressed on Pakistan’s role as a “facilitator” to end the conflicts in the Muslim world.
“Pakistan is ready to adopt whatever role is needed in order to facilitate the termination of conflicts in the Islamic world,” Asif said.
Gulf states ask UN Security Council for Yemen arms embargo
United Nations: Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies presented powerful members of the UN Security Council with suggested elements for a resolution that would impose an arms embargo on the Shiite rebels who have thrown Yemen into turmoil and caused its Western-backed president to flee.
Diplomats said after a meeting Thursday evening with ambassadors from the United States, Britain and France that members of the Gulf Coordination Council want the resolution to be militarily enforceable under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter.
The GCC members also presented the Security Council president with a letter explaining that their airstrikes targeting military installations held by the Houthi rebels are in response to President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi’s request this week for immediate aid as the rebels closed in.
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