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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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| AL MUKALLA, Yemen — 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. | AL MUKALLA, Yemen — 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’ advance in the face of airstrikes is focusing attention on the possibility of the Saudi-led coalition’s deploying ground troops, a move that would further escalate Yemeni civil war 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, a close ally of the Saudis, 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, a close ally of the Saudis, said Cairo was prepared to send troops “if necessary.” |
| President Obama, in a call Friday to King Salman of Saudi Arabia, emphasized the United States’ support for the Saudi-led operation, according to a National Security Council statement, but both leaders said they sought a “negotiated political solution.” | |
| Residents and local news reports said Friday that the Houthi-aligned forces were fighting in the streets of Aden, the southern town where the Saudi-backed president of Yemen, 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 town where the Saudi-backed president of Yemen, Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, had until recently prepared to make his last stand. |
| Clashes between the Houthi forces and fighters loyal to Mr. Hadi had plunged the city into chaos, residents said Friday. Soldiers had deserted army bases near the city, and opportunists had swooped in to plunder them. | Clashes between the Houthi forces and fighters loyal to Mr. Hadi had plunged the city into chaos, residents said Friday. Soldiers had deserted army bases near the city, and opportunists had swooped in to plunder them. |
| “They looted all military bases in the city,” said one resident, speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. “Tanks were taken to pieces in one of the bases.” | “They looted all military bases in the city,” said one resident, speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. “Tanks were taken to pieces in one of the bases.” |
| With Mr. Hadi’s forces in disarray, civilians were arming themselves to oppose the incoming Houthi forces, and there was sporadic fighting in neighborhoods around the city. “No one is leading the battles against the Houthis in Aden,” the same resident said. “People regrouped in the city’s districts and formed their own militias to fight the Houthis.” | With Mr. Hadi’s forces in disarray, civilians were arming themselves to oppose the incoming Houthi forces, and there was sporadic fighting in neighborhoods around the city. “No one is leading the battles against the Houthis in Aden,” the same resident said. “People regrouped in the city’s districts and formed their own militias to fight the Houthis.” |
| Mr. Hadi lost control of the capital, Sana, to the Houthi forces months ago, and he finally escaped last month to take refuge among supporters in Aden. Then on Wednesday he disappeared again as the Houthi forces closed in, surfacing Thursday night in Saudi Arabia. On Friday, he landed in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, to represent Yemen at an Arab League meeting, but 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 supporters in Aden. Then on Wednesday he disappeared again as the Houthi forces closed in, surfacing Thursday night in Saudi Arabia. On Friday, he landed in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, to represent Yemen at an Arab League meeting, but 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 Shabwa, which had been expected to pose fierce resistance. Both provinces are home to pockets of Sunni Muslim extremists, including Al Qaeda’s Yemeni branch, and the extremists loath the Houthis as heretics for following a variant of Shiite Islam. | The Houthis were also reported to be making gains in the restive southern provinces of Abyan and Shabwa, which had been expected to pose fierce resistance. Both provinces are home to pockets of Sunni Muslim extremists, including Al Qaeda’s Yemeni branch, and the extremists loath the Houthis as heretics for following 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. | 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. |
| On Thursday, the Houthi leaders sought to showcase their public support in the capital by holding a rally to condemn the Saudi Arabian air campaign. Thousands attended, suggesting that the movement may not be easy to crush through airstrikes alone. | On Thursday, the Houthi leaders sought to showcase their public support in the capital by holding a rally to condemn the Saudi Arabian air campaign. Thousands attended, suggesting that the movement may not be easy to crush through airstrikes alone. |
| The Saudi-led coalition on Friday extended its airstrikes to three military bases controlled by forces loyal to Mr. Saleh and the Houthis in the central province of Marib, according to news reports and local tribal leaders. There were reports of strikes against the Houthi’s home base in the north as well. | The Saudi-led coalition on Friday extended its airstrikes to three military bases controlled by forces loyal to Mr. Saleh and the Houthis in the central province of Marib, according to news reports and local tribal leaders. There were reports of strikes against the Houthi’s home base in the north as well. |
| Pentagon officials said late Friday that two Saudi airmen were rescued by the American military after they ejected from their plane over the Gulf of Aden. | Pentagon officials said late Friday that two Saudi airmen were rescued by the American military after they ejected from their plane over the Gulf of Aden. |
| Philip Hammond, the British foreign secretary, said Friday that Britain, like the United States, was providing logistical and technical support to the Saudi-led campaign. He noted that the intervention had been requested by Yemen’s legitimate government, under Mr. Hadi. “But we’re clearly not going to get involved in military action ourselves,” Mr. Hammond said. | Philip Hammond, the British foreign secretary, said Friday that Britain, like the United States, was providing logistical and technical support to the Saudi-led campaign. He noted that the intervention had been requested by Yemen’s legitimate government, under Mr. Hadi. “But we’re clearly not going to get involved in military action ourselves,” Mr. Hammond said. |
| He also discounted Saudi efforts to portray the Houthis as an instrument of Iranian influence. | He also discounted Saudi efforts to portray the Houthis as an instrument of Iranian influence. |
| “The Houthi are not Iranian proxies in the sense that Hezbollah is an Iranian proxy,” he added. “I suspect if you went to Tehran, you’d find a degree of frustration in Tehran that, for all the support they pile in, they can’t actually control what the Houthis do.” | “The Houthi are not Iranian proxies in the sense that Hezbollah is an Iranian proxy,” he added. “I suspect if you went to Tehran, you’d find a degree of frustration in Tehran that, for all the support they pile in, they can’t actually control what the Houthis do.” |
| Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, denounced the Saudi-led operation Friday, accusing the kingdom of unleashing Sunni extremists like Al Qaeda against Shiites elsewhere. | Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, denounced the Saudi-led operation Friday, accusing the kingdom of unleashing Sunni extremists like Al Qaeda against Shiites elsewhere. |
| Mr. Hadi’s foreign minister, Riyadh Yassin, in an interview Friday with the BBC, said that he hoped the airstrikes would end “as soon as possible,” and that the Houthis would “understand the meaning of these strikes” and come to negotiations. | Mr. Hadi’s foreign minister, Riyadh Yassin, in an interview Friday with the BBC, said that he hoped the airstrikes would end “as soon as possible,” and that the Houthis would “understand the meaning of these strikes” and come to negotiations. |
| As for a ground invasion, he said it depended on “the evaluation of the experts and the military people.” | As for a ground invasion, he said it depended on “the evaluation of the experts and the military people.” |