Ceasefire officially starts in Yemen

A ceasefire between the fighting parties in Yemen started on Monday morning ahead of talks scheduled to begin on 18 April in Kuwait under the auspices of the United Nations, Anadolu reported.

Anadolu reported calmness across Yemen and in the capital city of Sanaa. However, Reuters reported clashes in Taiz.

The Saudi-led coalition has said it will adhere to the ceasefire that took effect just before midnight local time on Sunday and the rebels also pledged to halt hostilities. The coalition maintained the right to respond to any violations of the ceasefire.

The UN envoy to Yemen announced the ceasefire last month. The ceasefire came following direct talks between the government and the Houthi rebel group.

The Saudi-led coalition, comprised of mostly Arab countries, launched its campaign against Yemen’s Houthis in March 2015, several months after the Houthis overran the capital Sanaa and forced the internationally-backed government into exile.