Houthis strike Yemen's presidential palace in Aden, killing two bodyguards

Thanks for joining us. We begin with breaking news from Yemen. Ansar Allah Houthi fighters have hit the presidential palace in the port city of Aden with multiple missiles. Plumes of smoke can be seen rising from the vicinity of the Al-Masjid Palace. The government and the prime minister and other officials are safe, but two of the prime minister's bodyguards were killed. The port city Aden is in the south of Yemen, and it's the seat of the internationally recognized government. Elsewhere in Yemen, there has been heavy fighting between government forces and Ansar Allah Houthi fighters in Taiz. Both sides are trying to take full control of the country's third largest city and the neighboring areas. Taiz has been under siege by the Houthis for several years. It's part of the broader Taiz province in the southwest that critically looks over the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Youssef Mawri, we'll speak to you. You're joining us from Yemen's capital, Sana'a. Tell us what we're learning this hour about the strikes in Aden? Well, this is the first attack of its kind by the Ansar Allah Houthis against the internationally recognized Yemeni government headquarters. And this came only an hour and a half, two hours after the coalition forces spokesperson gave the statement earlier today. Now, again, this, you know, this area hasn't been attacked or targeted by the Ansar This is considered to be the government headquarters. According to the reports, two of the security guards were killed in the attack, while other government officials, they survived what they are calling an assassination attempt against the internationally recognized Yemeni government officials. This is an indication that tensions and escalations are going to continue to intensify between both sides. Both sides are still fighting. They're still launching attacks. Saudi Arabia is coming with the aerial support attack on Ansar Allah Houthi positions. Yemeni government forces attempting to regain back some of the areas that fell under the control of the Ansar Allah Houthi, these areas that they lost in previous battles. tensions are to the max. Many people are worried and many Yemenis are worried that this is leading to an all-out civil war and this could potentially drag in other regional powers besides Saudi Arabia. And of course we know that Saudi Arabia has been lobbying to try to get other Islamic nations to join in this battle against the Ansar Allah Houthis, calling them a threat to international shipping security and a threat to regional stability. Ansar Allah Houthis response seems to be to attack the heart of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government in the city of Aden, which is considered to be the temporary capital of the Yemeni government. So, you know, there's some type of retaliation that will be expected by the internationally recognized Yemeni government, except the difference is the Ansar Allah Houthis, they don't really have a headquarters here in the capital Sana'a. They're sort of an operation rogue where nobody, these Saudi airstrikes haven't been able to target any Ansar Allah officials because they go into stealth mode and they mastered the art of stealth warfare tactics whereby they are able to launch attacks against Saudi Arabia and at the same time evade Saudi airstrikes because they don't have any known military positions or military launching sites. Most of the weapons are hidden underground in unknown locations tell us about the fighting particularly in Taiz and elsewhere in the country yeah this is considered the Yemeni government's last stronghold in the south because the city of Taiz is where most of the Yemeni government forces reside they had control of Bab al-Mandab they had control of the city of Al Mukha because of the extension of control that that they enjoyed in the city of Taiz but over the past couple of months the Ansar Allah Houthis have been taking over government forces strategic military positions including the Western Red Sea coastal line and now after they took over Bab al-Mandab they started to advance militarily east towards the city of Taiz and now they are just on the outskirts of the city according to reports. According to a government military expert, the Yemeni government is fighting back and they are repelling some of the Ansar Allah Houthi's assault in the southern and western parts of Taiz. The Ansar Allah Houthi's, they seek to control the entry and exit points, according to a military expert who says it's for the Ansar Allah Houthi's and for the Yemeni government. It's not about necessarily just controlling the city of Taiz itself. It's about controlling the high mountains, the high altitudes that overlook and oversee the city of Taiz and control of the main roads that supply both sides, which is the Taiz to Aden Road. Now that's where the fighting is mostly taking place. And basically, whoever has control of the roads and the high altitudes, they have the upper hand in this battle and they would or will ultimately control the city of Taiz. Yusuf Maru reporting from Sana'a. Thank you so much.