Houthis take control of Sana'a air defenses: military sources
Military official says President Hadi under virtual house arrest
Written by : <
http://www.aawsat.net/author/arafat-madabish> Arafat Madabish
on : Friday, 12 Dec, 2014
Sana'a, Asharq Al-Awsat-Yemen's air defenses are now under control of the
Houthi movement after the Shi'ite militia took control of Daylami Air Base,
home of the country's main missile system close to the capital Sana'a,
military sources told Asharq Al-Awsat on Wednesday.
A high-level military official, speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition
of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media, said: "The
Houthis are now in control of more than one third of Yemen's combined air,
land and naval forces, including some of Yemen's most strategically
important bases."
"Most military and political officials are under virtual house arrest,
including President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi," the source added.
The senior military official claimed that President Hadi is no longer in
control of decision-making in Yemen, describing his role at the present time
as "ceremonial."
Observers are concerned that the latest developments in Yemen could raise
regional tensions dramatically, particularly given the state of polarization
between the largely Shi'ite movement and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC),
members of which have accused the Houthis of having close links to Iran.
The Houthis are in control of all security and military apparatus in the
north of the country, and are expanding to other areas of Yemen, a second
Yemeni military official told Asharq Al-Awsat.
If the Houthis manage to take complete control of Yemen's arsenal, which
reportedly includes Scud missiles as well as securing the necessary
expertise to operate these, this is likely to be seen as a grave potential
threat by Yemen's neighbors.
Yemen's air force, parts of which are already under Houthi control, also
include Russian-made Sukhoi and MiG fighter jets.
Despite rising tensions, Yemen's President Hadi spoke to GCC
Secretary-General Abdul Latif Al-Zayani on Wednesday, according to reports.
The two leaders reviewed Yemeni-Gulf cooperation and the latest developments
in the country.
Hadi praised GCC political, security and economic support for Yemen, saying
that he hopes that "GCC states keep on their support to complete the
transitional phase's requirements in accordance with the Gulf Initiative and
the Peace and National Partnership Agreement," according to Yemen's state
SABA news agency.
Received on Fri Dec 12 2014 - 10:17:55 EST