Bombs hit Houthi positions in Sanaa, killing 3 commanders

Military sources say that airstrikes by Saudi Arabia and its allies against Houthi rebels in Sanaa, Yemen, have hit the international airport and al-Daylami airbase, killing three Houthi military commanders.

Sources told AFP that at least 17 civilians were also killed during the operation. Saudi Arabia and a coalition of regional allies launched the campaign in order to "defend and support the legitimate government of Yemen and prevent the radical Houthi movement from taking over the country," Saudi Ambassador to the United States Adel al-Jubair said during a press conference Wednesday. He also said Egypt, Pakistan, Jordan, Morocco, and Sudan all "expressed desire to participate in the operation," named "Firmness Storm," the SPA state news agency reports.

Al-Jubair said that Saudi Arabia consulted closely with allies, "in particular" with the United States. In a statement, National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said that "while U.S. forces are not taking direct military action in Yemen in support of this effort, we are establishing a Joint Planning Cell with Saudi Arabia to coordinate U.S. military and intelligence support."

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.