Yemen: Explosions rock Sanaa as Saudi-led coalition try to push back Houthis

Heavy explosions rocked Yemen's capital Sanaa on Friday morning, damaging several buildings. No casualties have been reported at the time of writing. Forces from the Yemeni Army, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, had launched a military offensive southwest of Marib on Sunday, to recapture the city from Houthi militants. Airstrikes have rained down on Sanaa and its outskirts in the recent week, reportedly claiming the lives of dozens of civilians. The Saudi-led coalition, which seeks to restore the government of former President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and displace the Houthi rebels, includes eight other Arab states and is receiving logistical support from the United States, Britain and France. Some 1,037 civilians have died since the beginning of the Saudi-led military operation on March 26, with a total death toll of 1,849, according to UN figures. A further 300,000 civilians have been internally displaced because of the airstrikes, with 27,000 Yemeni residents forced to flee the country.