YEMEN’S President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi fled his palace in the southern port city of Aden yesterday as Shi’ite Houthi rebels closed in.

The Houthis seized an air base 30 miles from Aden and launched air strikes on the city.

The base had hosted US and European “advisers” supervising the Yemeni government’s war with al-Qaida, which has largely consisted of tolerating US drone strikes on suspected militants.

Mr Hadi fled house arrest in the capital Sana’a earlier this month and has pleaded for UN intervention to stop the advance of the rebels, who are being helped by forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Foreign Minister Riad Yassin sent a request yesterday to the Arab League, asking for it to send forces to prop up the collapsing government. He accused the Houthis of being a proxy for Iranian expansionism, a charge they deny.

The Houthi authorities have arrested Defence Minister Mahmoud al-Subaihi and put a price on Mr Hadi’s head.