Yemeni Rebels Capture Presidential Palace in Aden

Yemeni rebels seized the palace of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, the country's president, in the southern city of Aden on Thursday, April 1. This palace was the last refuge of Mr. Mansur Hadi, who fled to Saudi Arabia last week following the advance of Houthi rebels towards Aden. According to a senior Yemeni security official present in Aden, 'dozens of Houthi militants and their allies entered the Maashiq presidential palace in armored vehicles.' The news agency also reflected statements from one of Hadi's supporters, who claimed that heavy fighting broke out between the Yemeni president's supporters and the rebels as soon as they entered the presidential palace, resulting in the deaths of dozens. Reports indicate that at least 44 people have died in today's clashes in Aden, including 18 civilians. The Houthis, who have allied with military units loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, have captured a large part of the country, including Sana'a, the capital of Yemen. Meanwhile, Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi was forced to leave the capital about two months ago and reside in Aden, but during this time, his presidential palace in Aden was targeted by airstrikes twice, leading him to secretly flee the country last week and seek refuge in Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, which has been targeting rebel positions in Yemen with airstrikes since last Thursday, announced today that one of its soldiers was killed following gunfire from inside the Yemeni border, marking Saudi Arabia's first casualty in this war. Iran, accused of supporting the Houthi rebels, has strongly protested against Saudi Arabia's attacks on Yemen and has called on the United Nations to work to stop these attacks.