Five civilians die as Saudi jets hit new areas in Yemen

At least five civilians have been killed in a new series of Saudi airstrikes against Yemen’s southwestern province of Ta’izz.

Saudi Arabia launched an aerial assault against the Dhubab district of the province, located about 350 kilometers (217 miles) south of the capital, Sana’a, on Saturday, leaving five people dead, Yemen’s al-Masirah  TV channel reported.

The report added that there were three women as well as a child among the victims.

Also on Saturday, Saudi warplanes launched two airstrikes against al-Ghil district in the northern Yemeni province of Jawf. A similar assault was also carried out in al-Aqaba area of the province.

There were no immediate reports of possible casualties and the extent of damage inflicted in the latter airstrikes.

Separately, Saudi jets hit several areas in the Sirwah district of the central Yemeni province of Ma’rib, though no information on possible fatalities and the scope of damage was available.

Elsewhere, in the Ahwar district of Yemen’s southern Abyan Province, members of al-Qaeda terrorist group launched an offensive and killed 15 soldiers loyal to former President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.

The Yemen-based al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has exploited the volatile atmosphere and the breakdown of security in Yemen since the beginning of the Saudi war to tighten its grip on parts of southeast Yemen.

The Takfiri Daesh terrorist group has also gained ground in and around the main southern city of Aden as a result of the Saudi war.

Ansarullah fighters, along with allied army units, are fighting the Takfiri militants and countering the Saudi aggression against Yemen.

Saudi Arabia launched its military aggression against Yemen on March 26, 2015, in a bid to bring Hadi — who is a staunch ally of Riyadh — back to power and undermine the Houthi Ansarullah movement.

More than 9,400 people have been killed and at least 16,000 others injured since the onset of the aggression.

The Saudi strikes have also taken a heavy toll on the country’s facilities and infrastructure, destroying many hospitals, schools, and factories.