Yemeni President Abed Rabbu Mansour Hadi has arrived in Riyadh one day after fleeing the southern Yemeni city of Aden in a boat, as Shiite rebels and their allies moved on the city to try and oust him from power

Hadi’s arrival comes as Saudi Arabia and its allies launched airstrikes in Yemen against the rebels, known as Houthis, and forces loyal to Hadi’s predecessor, ousted autocrat Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Saudi-led warplanes resumed a second night of bombing the Houthi-held capital Sanaa on Thursday evening, shaking entire neighbourhoods and terrifying residents.

The Saudi spokesman for the military operation, Brigadier General Ahmed Asseri, said: “There are no plans for ground force operations but if the need arises, the Saudi ground troops and those of its friends and sisterly forces are ready and will repel any aggression.”

Meanwhile hundreds of Houthis gathered for a rally in Sanaa after Houthi militias who control much of the east of the country, including the capital, were