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| Houthi Forces Move on Southern Yemen, Raising Specter of Regional Ground War | Houthi Forces Move on Southern Yemen, Raising Specter of Regional Ground War |
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| CAIRO — Forces aligned with the Iranian-backed Houthi movement continued their advance into areas of southern Yemen on Friday, as Saudi Arabia conducted a second day of airstrikes intended to stop them. | CAIRO — Forces aligned with the Iranian-backed Houthi movement continued their advance into areas of southern Yemen on Friday, as Saudi Arabia conducted a second day of airstrikes intended to stop them. |
| The Houthis’ continued advance in the face of heavy airstrikes has raised the possibility of the Saudi-led coalition’s deploying ground troops — a move that would continue the Yemeni civil war’s escalation toward a regional battle. | The Houthis’ continued advance in the face of heavy airstrikes has raised the possibility of the Saudi-led coalition’s deploying ground troops — a move that would continue the Yemeni civil war’s escalation toward a regional battle. |
| The Saudi government has said it has no plans to send troops, but declined to rule out the possibility. On Thursday, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, whose government depends heavily on financial aid from Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf monarchies, said Cairo was prepared to send troops “if necessary.” | The Saudi government has said it has no plans to send troops, but declined to rule out the possibility. On Thursday, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, whose government depends heavily on financial aid from Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf monarchies, said Cairo was prepared to send troops “if necessary.” |
| Residents and local news reports said Friday that the Houthi-aligned forces were fighting in the streets of Aden, the southern port town where the Saudi-backed president, Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, had until recently prepared to make his last stand. | Residents and local news reports said Friday that the Houthi-aligned forces were fighting in the streets of Aden, the southern port town where the Saudi-backed president, Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, had until recently prepared to make his last stand. |
| Mr. Hadi lost control of the capital, Sana, to the Houthi forces months ago, and he finally escaped last month to take refuge among his supporters in Aden. On Wednesday, he disappeared again as the Houthi forces closed in, surfacing Thursday night in Saudi Arabia. His supporters said he was en route to an Arab League summit meeting this weekend in Egypt, and it was unclear whether he would return to Yemen anytime soon. | Mr. Hadi lost control of the capital, Sana, to the Houthi forces months ago, and he finally escaped last month to take refuge among his supporters in Aden. On Wednesday, he disappeared again as the Houthi forces closed in, surfacing Thursday night in Saudi Arabia. His supporters said he was en route to an Arab League summit meeting this weekend in Egypt, and it was unclear whether he would return to Yemen anytime soon. |
| The Houthis were also reported to be making gains in the restive Southern provinces of Abyan and Shabwah, both of which were expected to pose stiff resistance to the group. Both provinces are home to pockets of Sunni Muslim extremists, including Al Qaeda’s Yemeni branch, and the extremists loathe the Houthis as heretics because they follow a variant of Shiite Islam. | The Houthis were also reported to be making gains in the restive Southern provinces of Abyan and Shabwah, both of which were expected to pose stiff resistance to the group. Both provinces are home to pockets of Sunni Muslim extremists, including Al Qaeda’s Yemeni branch, and the extremists loathe the Houthis as heretics because they follow a variant of Shiite Islam. |
| The Houthis represent a minority among Yemen’s mostly Sunni Muslims, but the group has gained momentum by forming an alliance with Yemen’s former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh. He has helped enlist important parts of the military and security services still loyal to him to fight alongside the Houthis against Mr. Hadi’s forces. And Mr. Saleh and the Houthis have built other support by tapping into popular grievances with the Hadi government, beginning with its attempts last year to cut price subsidies in the arid and impoverished country. | |
| As Yemen reeled from the first day of airstrikes on Thursday, the Houthi leaders sought to showcase their public support in the capital by holding a rally to condemn the Saudi campaign. Thousands attended, suggesting that the movement may not be easy to crush through airstrikes alone. | As Yemen reeled from the first day of airstrikes on Thursday, the Houthi leaders sought to showcase their public support in the capital by holding a rally to condemn the Saudi campaign. Thousands attended, suggesting that the movement may not be easy to crush through airstrikes alone. |
| The foreign minister of President Hadi’s government said Friday that he hoped that the airstrikes would end “as soon as possible.” But he was vague about how he defined their mission or expected to resolve the underlying conflict. | The foreign minister of President Hadi’s government said Friday that he hoped that the airstrikes would end “as soon as possible.” But he was vague about how he defined their mission or expected to resolve the underlying conflict. |
| “If they can complete their mission in the coming few days or few hours, it will be stopped,” the foreign minister, Riyadh Yassin, said in an interview with the BBC from Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. Mr. Hadi had been “forced to request” the military intervention, Mr. Yassin said, but “nobody is happy about that.” | “If they can complete their mission in the coming few days or few hours, it will be stopped,” the foreign minister, Riyadh Yassin, said in an interview with the BBC from Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. Mr. Hadi had been “forced to request” the military intervention, Mr. Yassin said, but “nobody is happy about that.” |
| He said he hoped that the Houthi forces would “understand the meaning of these strikes” and come to negotiations, but Mr. Yassin also acknowledged that he could not rule out the possibility of a request for foreign ground troops to help roll back the Houthi advance. | He said he hoped that the Houthi forces would “understand the meaning of these strikes” and come to negotiations, but Mr. Yassin also acknowledged that he could not rule out the possibility of a request for foreign ground troops to help roll back the Houthi advance. |
| “It depends what is there on the ground, how much is going on,” he said, as well as “the evaluation of the experts and the military people.” | “It depends what is there on the ground, how much is going on,” he said, as well as “the evaluation of the experts and the military people.” |