Coalition Strikes Houthi-Held Sanaa's Presidential Palace

Saudi-led coalition warplanes carried out airstrikes early Sunday targeting the presidential palace in Yemeni capital Sanaa, which is currently held by Shiite Houthi militants, according to eyewitnesses.



The airstrikes also targeted military bases in Sanaa that are held by troops loyal to ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the Houthis, the witnesses told The Anadolu Agency.



The fighter jets hit the presidential palace, al-Nahdain military base (which sits atop a hill overlooking the palace in southern Sanaa), the central Faj Attan base and the eastern Hafa base in Mount Nuqum, witnesses said.



The bombardment set the presidential palace ablaze, but the extent of the damage to other military bases stricken by the airstrikes could not be immediately determined.



A pro-Houthi TV channel, for its part, confirmed that the presidential palace and the Faj Attan base came under airstrikes, but did not reveal the damage incurred by the bombardment.



Houthi positions have been the target of attacks by warplanes from countries participating in a Saudi-led coalition against the group since March 25.



On Tuesday, the command of the Saudi-led coalition said it would suspend operations at the request of embattled Yemeni President ABD Rabbuh Mansour Hadi.



Nevertheless, coalition warplanes continued to pound Houthi positions across Yemen in the following days.



Yemen has been in turmoil since 2011 when a popular uprising forced Saleh to step down a year later.



In September of 2014, the Houthis controlled capital Sanaa and moved on to extend their control in other provinces.



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