ADEN, Yemen, June 23 (NNN-SABA) – Yemen’s government forces, on Saturday night, fought fierce clashes with the Houthi rebels in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, a military official said.
The Houthi rebels started attacking government-controlled areas in Hays district, in the southeastern part of Hodeidah, sparking fierce armed confrontations in the area, the military official said.
“Many shells landed on residential neighbourhoods,” the official added.
Some families were affected by the Houthis’ random shelling, but no exact figures of casualties were available.
In recent weeks, armed confrontations between pro-government forces and the Houthi rebels escalated, despite the cease-fire, brokered by the United Nations, during the Stockholm peace talks last year.
Hodeidah is the lifeline entry point for Yemen’s most food imports and humanitarian aid. The more than four-year grinding war has pushed over 20 million people to the verge of starvation.
The Yemeni warring parties reached a peace deal on Hodeidah in Dec last year, as a first step towards brokering a comprehensive political solution.
Sporadic breaches, however, are daily recorded in Hodeidah, as the two belligerent sides failed to withdraw their forces in accordance with the agreement reached in the Swedish capital.– NNN-SABA
