Yemen’s Foreign Ministry has reported that at least ten Houthi members have been killed and seven others wounded in clashes west of the city of Taiz, the country’s third largest city, with government forces.
“The Government sees the attack as a flagrant challenge to all initiatives and efforts aimed at ending the war and achieving peace, and an attempt to undermine efforts to extend and extend the humanitarian truce and impose a siege on the city of Taiz “, has expressed in a statement.
The attack, whose objective was to cut the only artery that connects Taiz with the Aden governorate, has occurred in the Al Dhabab area, west of the city, against government forces and has lasted until early Monday morning.
The Yemeni Foreign Ministry has also asked, in the face of “this dangerous escalation”, to take responsibility and condemn these “criminal” acts, especially “in light of the presence of the military team in the Jordanian capital to discuss compliance with the ceasefire.”
Yemen has accused the Houthi insurgent militia of violating the humanitarian and military truce more than 160 times in the last 24 hours, most with flights of warplanes, according to the Saba news agency on Monday.
Taiz is a strategic location in the transport network of the country under rebel siege that is considered to be the commercial hub of Yemen, with Hodeida, Aden and the capital, Sanaa. Hodeida is the main port of the country, while Aden is the seat of the Government recognized by the international community. The capital has been under rebel control since the start of the conflict eight years ago.
The first UN-brokered truce went into effect on April 2. Since then, it has been extended every two months, with an extension that will now remain in force until October 2, despite the violations reported by the Yemeni authorities.
The war in Yemen pits the internationally recognized government, now represented by the Presidential Leadership Council and supported by a Saudi-led coalition, against the Iranian-backed Houthis. The Houthis control Sana’a and parts of the north and west of the country.
Source: Europa Press
