Yemen presidential palace under siege in apparent coup attempt

A top Yemen army commander warns that a full-fledged “coup” was underway and Houthi rebels have seized presidential palace in the capital of Sanaa. The exact condition in the capital, though, remains unclear as media outlets are reporting conflicting details. According to Reuters, militia fighters bombarded the private residence of Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The Associated Press reported that Hadi was inside the residence as it came under “heavy shelling” for half an hour but he was unharmed and protected by guards, officials said. The dramatic development put the U.S.-backed Hadi into a precarious position and represented the starkest challenge to his authority since the Houthis swept into Sanaa from their northern stronghold and seized the capital in September.

This is a coup. There is no other word to describe what is happening but a coup.

Col. Saleh al-Jamalani, the commander of the Presidential Protection Force that guards the palace

The attack followed some of the worst fighting in the capital Sanaa in years on Monday, when guards loyal to Hadi fought artillery battles near the presidential palace with the powerful Houthi movement, which has been in dispute with Hadi over political and constitutional issues. The Houthis seized Sanaa in September, began dictating terms to an enfeebled Hadi, and advanced into central and western regions of Yemen where Sunni Muslims predominate. The Houthis want more rights for the country’s Zaydi Shi’ite sect and say they are campaigning against corruption.

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