3 soldiers of pro-govt killed in clashes with Houthi fighters

At least three soldiers of Yemen’s joint pro-government forces were killed and 10 others injured in clashes with the Houthi fighters in the country’s Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, a military official told Xinhua news agency.

The Houthis launched an attack in an attempt to achieve a ground breakthrough into the government-controlled areas in the Hays district, sparking intense fighting in the area, the local military source said on condition of anonymity on Tuesday.

The pro-government forces managed to resist the attack following hours of fighting with casualties, the source said, adding that “the Houthis used various heavy and medium weapons in their attack against the government-controlled sites”.

On the other hand, the Houthi militia announced through its media outlets that the Saudi Arabia-backed Yemeni government forces committed 63 ceasefire breaches in various areas of Hodeidah during the past hours, Xinhua news agency reported.

Hodeidah’s clashes occurred a day after Yemen’s government announced receiving a proposal from the UN suggesting a new extension of the ongoing truce that expires next Sunday.

The truce between the Yemeni government and the Houthis went into force for the first time on April 2 and was later renewed twice through October 2.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government out of the capital Sanaa.

Source: Siasat