(MENAFN- Gulf Times) A Saudi-led coalition has denied its warplanes bombed the Omani ambassador's home in Sanaa, target of months of its air strikes, and called for an investigation, Saudi media reported yesterday.
The Omani foreign ministry summoned the Saudi ambassador in Muscat on Saturday and handed him a protest letter over the air strikes, which the state news agency ONA said had targeted the residence of its ambassador to Yemen.
The coalition's military spokesman, Brigadier General Ahmed al-Assiri, said Saturday's air strikes had targeted the Yemeni interior ministry building, but not the Omani ambassador's residence, the Saudi-owned Asharq al-Awsat said.
The ministry had been turned into a military operations centre for the Houthis, the Iranian-allied group that controls the capital and large swathes of the country, the daily said.
Asharq al-Awsat quoted Assiri as saying the coalition would welcome an investigation and suggested the house may have been hit by a Houthi mortar shell.
"One would be able from the beginning to distinguish between a mortar strike and a plane strike," he said.
The coalition began air strikes against the Houthis and allied forces in late March after they pushed from their northern stronghold towards the southern port of Aden.
Coalition air raids have intensified in recent weeks as a Gulf Arab ground force and fighters loyal to Hadi prepare a campaign to recapture Sanaa, seized by Houthi fighters in September 2014.
Residents said about 10 air strikes were launched on the interior ministry building in the north of the capital, a police camp close to it and a military building.
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