The palace in Sana’a, currently used by the Houthi leadership, was pounded by at least seven airstrikes late Monday, local media reported. Saleh governed Yemen for three decades before he was ousted during the Arab Spring in 2012 amid mass protests against his rule. His killing may alter the course of the war in Yemen, often seen as part of a broader regional struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which backs the rebels. Houthi rebels this year accused Saleh of holding secret talks with the United Arab Emirates, a close Saudi ally and member of its coalition in Yemen. Some analysts said Saleh’s death, and the collapse of his alliance with the Houthis, would weaken the rebels by reducing manpower and their ability to hold territory.

Source: National Post December 05, 2017 13:41 UTC