Yemen Carrier Suspends Flights

Yemen's national carrier declared on Thursday the suspension of its flights until Sunday.



The suspension was decided for the protection of passengers and in the light of deteriorating security conditions in Yemen, the official Yemeni news agency "ed an unnamed official as saying.



It is not clear whether Sanaa International Airport is ready to operate.



A military base adjacent to the airport was targeted by fighter jets belonging to states allied to Saudi Arabia early on Thursday.



Several Arab states have joined the Saudi-led offensive, which kicked off late Wednesday with a string of airstrikes against the positions of the Houthi Shiite militant group in Yemen, including some in capital Sanaa.



Saudi Arabia said the strikes were in response to calls by Yemeni President ABD Rabbuh Mansour Hadi for military intervention to "save the people from the Houthi militias."



Fractious Yemen has been in turmoil since last September, when the Shiite militants overran capital Sanaa, from which they have sought to extend their influence to other parts of the country as well.



Some Gulf countries accuse Shiite Iran of supporting the Houthi insurgency.



www.aa.com.tr/en - Sana