Yemen rebel chief slams 'unjustified' Saudi intervention

Followers of the Shi'ites Houthi group watch a televised speech by the group's leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi in Sanaa on October 12, 2014

Yemen rebel leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi slammed Saudi-led intervention against his forces as "unjustified" Thursday and urged supporters to confront it, in his militia's first reaction since the strikes were launched overnight.

"The criminal oppressive aggression is completely unjustified," the leader of the Shia rebels said in a televised speech, accusing Saudi Arabia of being a "neighbour of evil".

Houthi called on his supporters to "confront the invasion" and vowed that "we will not sit with our arms folded" as the Saudi-led coalition bombs targets in Yemen.

Houthi, whose militia is backed by Iran, accused Saudi Arabia of killing civilians in its "hysterical" attacks on Yemen that he said served the United States and Israel.