Explosions in Sanaa after alleged Saudi-led coalition airstrikes
Houthis say "Saudi aggression" hit Sanaa and several provinces; the coalition says it intercepted missiles and drones.
Strong explosions rocked Sanaa last night after what witnesses described as airstrikes by warplanes from the Saudi-led coalition.
What happened
Witnesses said blasts were heard across several parts of the capital and that plumes of smoke rose near the presidential palace and the Al-Nahdain mountain, which sits to the south of the city.
Media outlets under Houthi control said that "Saudi aggression" was directed at Sanaa and at the provinces of Saada, Taiz and Amran, but they did not specify targets or the extent of any damage.
The Saudi-led coalition has not commented on the reported strikes against Sanaa. The explosions came after the coalition announced it had intercepted two ballistic missiles and four unmanned aerial vehicles that the Houthis launched toward the Saudi cities of Khamis Mushait and Jazan.
Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said: "We continue to take and implement operational measures to deter the Houthi terrorist militia."
The incidents are part of a wider escalation in Yemen, where the Houthis have stepped up attacks on neighbouring Saudi Arabia. Riyadh backs Yemen's internationally recognised government and has repeatedly conducted air operations against Houthi positions as part of the coalition it leads.
Photo: press material from the event
