Saudi-led alliance launches air strikes on Yemen capital

[June 03, 2015]  SANAA (Reuters) - Air strikes by a Saudi-led Arab alliance shook Yemen's capital Sanaa on Wednesday, mainly targeting military bases aligned with the dominant Houthi group, residents said.

Houthi officials said there were casualties but gave no further details. Locals saw ambulances racing to the scene.

"The ... blasts made me jump out of bed," one man who identified himself as Assem told Reuters by phone. Residents said the war planes launched at least ten strikes north of Sanaa, causing massive explosions.

The Saudi-led coalition began air strikes in Yemen in March in a campaign to restore Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power. Hadi fled to Aden in March, after the Houthi fighters began advancing on the southern port city amid a political standoff.

The Houthis seized the capital Sanaa in September after what they said was a frustrating campaign to persuade Hadi's administration to bring them into the political system. They also said they were seeking to stop corruption by senior officials in Hadi's administration.

Wednesday's air strikes hit the home a Houthi leader in the central province of Ibb, and targeted areas in the northern province of Saada and the southern province of Lahj, residents said.

(Reporting by Mohamed Ghobari; Writing by Amena Bakr; Editing by Sami Aboudi and Andrew Heavens)

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