The Saudi-led coalition has reportedly conducted fresh airstrikes on Yemen, hours after it said it had ended a four-week air campaign against Houthi fighters.
The deputy governor of Aden, Nayef al-Bakri, said an air raid targeted tanks used by the Houthis in the southern port city. Airstrikes were also reported in the central city of Taiz, where Houthis had captured the headquarters of a brigade loyal to the government.
The headquarters of the 35th Armored Brigade on the city's northern outskirts fell after heavy fighting on Wednesday which left "dozens dead and wounded," an army officer told the AFP news agency from inside the base.
The Saudi-led coalition that has been bombing Yemen for almost a month said its military operation "Decisive Storm" had ended by midnight on Tuesday and that a new campaign aimed at protecting civilians and preventing Houthi forces from operating had begun.
Brigadier-General Ahmed al-Asiri, the coalition's spokesperson, said the campaign had achieved its military goals in Yemen and a new operation, called "Renewal of Hope," would aim to protect civilians and combat "terrorism."
However, Asiri did not rule out future airstrikes against the Houthis and said the coalition would continue to impose a naval blockade on Yemen.
Also on Wednesday, witnesses reported ground fighting between rebels and pro-government forces in Aden and the city of Lahj, the capital of Huta, and the southern town of Daleh.
Saudi Arabia's ministry of defense had earlier said that all heavy weapons and ballistic missiles belonging to the Houthis had been destroyed, that they had imposed restrictions over Yemen's airspace, and that any possible threats on the kingdom and neighboring countries had been removed.
Saudi National Guard in Yemen
Saudi Arabia's King Salman on Tuesday ordered the Saudi Arabian National Guard, widely regarded as the kingdom's best equipped military ground force, to take part in Riyadh's campaign against Houthis in Yemen, the official SPA news agency said.
It did not clarify how the National Guard would take part in the operation, which has seen the Saudi-led coalition launch air strikes against the rebels. The guard is a trained army of reportedly 100,000 men.
The UK also sends an estimated 20 training teams to Saudi Arabia a year. These teams have instructed the National Guard in the enforcement of public order, the use of sniper rifles, and field-craft training, according to reports.
