Yemeni security official: Houthis refuse to lift the siege on Taiz

Yemen’s Houthis and troops affiliated with former President Ali Abdullah Saleh yesterday refused to lift the siege on the central city of Taiz, in spite of them agreeing to do so under the terms of a ceasefire agreement reached earlier.

Houthis fired at Abdul Karim Shiban, the head of the local committee that supervises the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in the city, flatly refusing to lift the siege on civilians, according to a senior security official.

The security director of Taiz province, Brigadier Abdul Wahid Sarhan, told the Anadolu Agency that Shiban and his team came under fire in Zaid Almuchki by Houthi rebels, who are stationed near the eastern crossing, adding that the incident did not result in casualties.

He said Houthi rebels insist on blockading Taiz, defying agreements signed earlier with the supervisory committee. They are also deploying many armed vehicles and military reinforcements, taking advantage of the truce.

“The problem with the rebels is that they believe that lifting the siege is a military loss for them,” he explained.