Temporary truce reached in Yemen between Houthis and tribes

A tribal mediation committee in Yemen has negotiated a 15-hour truce between the tribal fighters and the Houthi fighters in the governorate of Ibb in the middle of Yemen, sources told Anadolu news agency on Tuesday.

According to the sources, the truce started on Tuesday at 9 pm and will last until Wednesday at noon. It includes a halt in the fighting between the two sides.

The committee, which was led by Sheikh Ahmed Al-Miqbali, met with Sheikh Abdul-Wahed Al-Da’am, a leader of the tribal fighters and Abu-Mukhtar Al-Yami, a representative of the Houthi fighters.

The sources added that the committee also had contact with the military leader of the Houthis, Abu-Ali Al-Hakem, and told him that it was necessary to meet on Wednesday afternoon to discuss a permanent ceasefire.

“There will be a meeting and the discussion will be about handing the bases that both sides have seized over to the Yemeni army,” one source told Anadolu, “as well as other issues to be discussed”.

“Tribal fighters,” the source said, “regained control over the Ansab Citadel in Al-Radmah City”, which had been taken over earlier on Tuesday by the Houthis.

Anadolu was not able to secure any comment from Yemeni army regarding the plans that were discussed to hand over the bases that have been seized by fighters from both sides.

Fierce clashes between the tribal fighters and the Houthis, during which heavy and light weapons were being used, were raging all day on Tuesday before the truce. Sounds of gunfire and explosions could be heard from distances as far away as 3 km.