Yemen conflict: Exiled President Hadi returns to Aden Published duration 17 November 2015 Related Topics Yemen crisis

image copyright AFP image caption President Hadi made a brief return to Yemen in September

Yemen's exiled President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi has returned to the southern city of Aden to supervise a new offensive against the rebel-held area of Taiz, officials say.

It is not clear how long Mr Hadi intends to remain in the country.

He made his first visit to Aden in September, having fled the country six months earlier in the face of advances by Houthi rebels.

At least 5,600 people have been killed in the past eight months of fighting.

A Saudi-led Arab coalition launched an air campaign in March, followed by a ground offensive, to push back the Houthis and reinstate Mr Hadi's government.

image copyright AFP image caption Forces loyal to Hadi are reported to be making ground in the south-west

image copyright AFP image caption The United Nations is trying to broker a ceasefire in Yemen, but has made only limited progress

Officials say the president will be staying at the Maashiq presidential palace in the central Crater district of Aden.

His arrival comes as forces loyal to him are reported to have made advances in the south-west, surrounding the city of Taiz.

About 45 fighters from both sides were killed on Monday, medical sources quoted by the Reuters news agency said.

Residents said coalition warplanes bombed Houthi targets in the city several times on Tuesday.

The president's last attempt to return to his country was in September after six months of exile in Saudi Arabia. He was forced to return to Riyadh after Aden came under rebel attack.

He first fled Aden in late March as Shia Houthi rebels advanced on the city.

UN-brokered peace talks on the Yemen crisis are planned for later this month.

Why is there fighting in Yemen?

Northern Shia Muslim rebels known as Houthis, backed by forces loyal to Yemen's ex-president, took over parts of Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa, and forced the government into exile in March

The rebels accused the government of corruption and of planning to marginalise their heartland within a proposed federal system

Forces loyal to the government and Southern militias regained control of Aden in July, aided by Saudi-led coalition air strikes and troops