Clashes in southern Yemen force closure of Aden airport

Forces loyal to longtime autocratic president Ali Abdullah Saleh battled loyalist militia of current president Abdrabu Mansur Hadi on Thursday morning.

ADEN, YEMEN // Yemeni special forces opposed to president Abdrabu Mansur Hadi battled loyalist militia around Aden airport on Thursday leaving at least five people dead and 13 wounded.

The clashes, which erupted before dawn, forced the airport to close as the Hadi loyalists battled to defend it against the advancing troops.

Passengers on a flight to Cairo were scuttled off the plane and into the terminal building.

The attackers, loyal to longtime autocratic president Ali Abdullah Saleh who was ousted following a 2011 popular uprising, managed to enter a section of the airport grounds but were met with heavy resistance from the security forces loyal to current president, who is now based in Aden.

As the fighting escalated, a convoy of tanks and armoured vehicles was dispatched from the city centre to the airport, less than a kilometre away, security officials said.

More than 100 passengers who had boarded a flight to Cairo were ordered off the Yemenia aircraft and made their way to the terminal building as machinegun fire rang out. The plane was one of only two aircraft, both belonging to the national carrier, left on the tarmac.

The sound of heavy explosions shook the terminal building as the clashes intensified.

At least two shells have hit the airport’s grounds, said security and aviation officials at the scene.

Yemen, the Arab world’s poorest nation, is deeply polarised and engulfed in turmoil that threatens to split the country amid a power grab by the rebels known as the Houthis.

The rebels last year seized Sanaa and several northern provinces, and in January declared themselves the country’s rulers.

Mr Hadi insists he remains the country’s legitimate leader and enjoys much support in Aden, where he has been based since fleeing house arrest.* Agence France-Presse and Associated Press