Yemen: Govt forces, rebels clash in Al-Hudaydah

Monitoring Desk
SANAA: Clashes erupted between government forces and Houthi rebels in the coastal city of Al-Hudaydah on Sunday, according to a Yemeni government source.
“The violence broke out in a number of eastern and southern neighborhoods in the city,” the source said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
He blamed the rebels for triggering the clashes after pounding positions of government forces in the city.
There was no comment from the Shia Houthi group on the claim.
On Saturday, the Yemeni army said 12 civilians had been killed and injured in Houthi shelling south of Al-Hudaydah.
The fresh violence comes amid accusations between the Yemeni government and rebels of violating a UN-brokered ceasefire deal in the strategic city.
Yemen has been beset by violence and chaos since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including Sanaa.
The crisis escalated in 2015 when a Saudi-led military coalition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains.
Since then, tens of thousands of Yemenis, including numerous civilians, are believed to have been killed in the conflict, while another 14 million are now at risk of starvation, according to the UN.
The crisis escalated in 2015 when the Saudi-led coalition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi gains. (AA)