CRI听力:Yemeni President Leaves as Saudi-led Raids Continue

Yemen's President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi has arrived in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh as a Saudi-led coalition continues to launch air strikes against Shia Houthi rebels.

It is the first confirmation of the Yemeni President's whereabouts since Wednesday, when he fled the Southern Port city of Aden amidst attacks from Houthi rebels.

President Hadi will go to Egypt for an Arab league summit on Saturday.

Arab League Secretary General Nabil Elaraby says foreign ministers from member countries have already agreed on a draft resolution to form a unified military force to help resolve the crisis in Yemen.

"The Arab League has an army that will go fight war and liberate. This is the first time an army will be established and work through Arab nations. The force or coalition that is currently supporting legitimacy in Yemen; will it be the start of the proposed collaborative force? No. This coalition is present to restore the legitimacy in Yemen. The proposed force requires more studies. It is an absolutely new thing that has not happened for 70 years."

During the second night of raids by a coalition led by Saudi Arabia, warplanes again targeted rebel positions in Yemen's capital Sanaa and an air base near the southern port city of Aden.

At least 18 civilians, including 6 children have been killed in the capital Sanaa during the first day of the air strikes.

Clashes have also been reported in Aden between troops loyal to President Hadi and the rebels.

Regional rival Iran, which is accused of backing the Shiite rebels has demanded an immediate halt to the strikes saying that it violated Yemen's sovereignty.

But other regional powers like Turkey have accused Iran of trying to dominate the region.

For more on this, CRI's Poornima Weerasekara spoke to Professor Li Guo Fu, Director of the Middle East study center at the China Institute of International Studies.