Riyadh, Cairo mull Yemen ground intervention
Saudi Arabia and Egypt are considering a ground intervention in Yemen, military officials said Friday, as airstrikes targeting Iranian-backed Houthi rebels and forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh intensified on their second day, The Associated Press reported.
Pro-Iranian TV stations Al-Manar and Mayadeen claimed late Friday that a coalition plane had been shot down near Sanaa, as pictures circulated purporting to show the captured Sudanese pilot.
Military officials said a ground intervention would be aimed at giving President Abed Rabbou Mansour Hadi a secure foothold to return to the country, while backing Sunni tribesmen to fight against Shiite rebels and their allies.
A likely entry point for troops from the Saudi-led coalition was the southern port of Aden, the Yemeni and Egyptian military officials told The Associated Press. But that could be a tough prospect: the city is already a battleground and forces loyal to Saleh were advancing toward it Friday.