Yemen conflict: Saudi-led coalition resumes air strikes
18 minutes ago
Saudi-led coalition jets have bombed Houthi rebels in Yemen's third city of Taiz, hours after announcing the end of a military campaign against them.
The strikes followed the fall of the base outside Taiz of an army unit loyal to President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi.
Fighting was also reported in the second city of Aden, Lahj's provincial capital Huta, and the town of Daleh.
On Tuesday, Riyadh declared its month-long campaign, which sought to restore the president, had achieved its goals.
But it warned that it would continue to take action against the Houthis as needed.
Iran, which has denied that is providing military assistance to the rebels, described the decision as a positive development and called for peace talks.
'Broken promise'
Not long after dawn on Wednesday, rebel fighters took control of the headquarters of the 35th Armoured Brigade on the northern outskirts of Taiz.
Saudi soldiers stand guard near the Yemeni border (21 April 2015)
Saudi Arabia has deployed reinforcements along its southern border with Yemen
An army officer told the AFP news agency that dozens of people were killed or wounded in the heavy fighting.
Shortly after the takeover, coalition aircraft targeted rebel forces inside the base, the officer said.
They also bombed a gathering of rebels and allied military personnel loyal to ousted former President Ali Abdullah Saleh near the city's central prison, he added.
The 35th Brigade has stayed loyal to President Hadi, who fled the country at the end of March as the Houthis and their allies advanced on Aden.
The president took refuge in the southern port city after the rebels took full control of the capital Sanaa and placed him under house arrest.
Saudi diplomatic sources told BBC Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen, who is in Jeddah, that the air strikes had resumed because the Houthis "broke a promise" in Taiz.
The Saudis and the coalition partners reserved the right to use air power again when they announced the end of the bombing campaign.
The Saudis say an agreement is being finalised with the Houthis. If the deal is made, making it stick will be hard, our correspondent says.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-32411311
