The evacuation came a day before a Saudi-led, U.S.-backed coalition began a campaign of airstrikes against the Houthis in neighboring Yemen, seeking to restore Yemeni President AbedRabbo Mansour Hadi.The U.S. and Saudi both view Mr. Hadi as the country’s legitimate leader.
Saudi’s air campaign has raised fears that Yemen’s internal conflict could devolve into a wider confrontation pitting predominantly Sunni Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia against the Shiite-linked Houthis and their regional Shiite-majority allies, which include Iran.
Saudi Arabia joined four other Persian Gulf countries plus Egypt in a group of allies spearheading the military intervention against the Houthis. Numerous other countries have indicated their support, while the U.S. is providing logistical and intelligence backing.
The U.S. has already played a key role in the mission. On Thursday, U.S. forces rescued two Saudi airmen whose F-15 fighter jet crashed in the Gulf of Aden, U.S. and Saudi officials said. The jet went down because of a “technical failure,” according to an SPA statement Saturday.
The air campaign followed the ascent of the Houthis, who adhere to theZaidioffshoot of Shiite Islam. They hail from the north, but extended control increasingly southward last year, overrunning the capital San’a in September.
Houthi militants took over the government in San’a in February, making Mr. Hadi flee to Aden, where he has supported among local security forces. The Houthis then made a push southward toward the port city, forcing Mr. Hadi to flee again—this time to Oman and then to Saudi Arabia.
Mr. Hadi is currently in the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh, where an Arab League summit is taking place. Arab leaders are set to discuss the formation of a pan-regional military force at the meeting.
