Sanaa (South24) 

Yesterday, a prominent Houthi military official was killed in Sanaa, in an air strike by the Saudi-led Coalition.

According to local sources for "South24," Major General Abdullah Qassem Al-Junaid, appointed by the Houthis as director of the College of Aviation and Air Defense, was killed.

The sources reported that Al-Junaid was killed in an air strike that targeted his house in the Libyan district north of Sanaa.

The raids on Sanaa came after a drone attack targeting the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, which killed 3 civilians and injured 6 others, according to the UAE media.

Read more: UAE Holds the Houthis Responsible for the Abu Dhabi Attack

The Houthis officially claimed the attack, and the UAE Foreign Ministry confirmed that they were behind it, and vowed to respond.

Yesterday's evening, the Coalition announced the killing of Houthi leaders in its raids on Sanaa, after announcing the start of "focused air strikes". [1]

The Houthis accused the Coalition of bombing residential houses in the Libyan district, and the group's media claimed that it "led to the killing of 14 civilians, wounding 11 others, and destroying and damaging a number of houses." [2]

Media outlets affiliated with the Iranian-backed rebels published pictures of civilian victims, and others showing destroyed houses, which they claim were the result of Coalition raids. [3]

Following the raids, the Coalition called on the people of Sanaa to immediately move away from the Houthi camps and gathering places.

The Coalition said that its air forces "carry out 24-hour operations over Sanaa," announcing preparations for offensive operations, their priority of which is the Houthi leaders.

On Tuesday, the Saudi Press Agency reported that the Coalition bombed "Houthi strongholds" in Sanaa and destroyed a communications system for drones in the "Jabal al-Nabi Shuaib" area. [4]

South24 Center for News and Studies 

Photo: Unverified image for the airstrike on the Libyan district, Sanaa, 17 Jan 2022 (local media)