Clashes continue in Yemen despite ceasefire

At least 38 Houthi rebels were killed on Saturday in clashes with government forces despite a truce reached earlier in the week, according to local media.

Yasir al-Harisi, a colonel from the Saudi coalition-backed Yemeni army, told the state SABA news agency that Houthi militias continued cease-fire violations by attacking areas belonging to army forces.

The army responded to attacks targeting military positions in the Saada province, and clashes ensued between the two sides.

Al-Harisi said that apart from the deaths, there were also many injured militia members and the army seized their vehicles and arms.

On Wednesday evening, the Saudi-led Arab Coalition announced a two-week ceasefire in Yemen with the possibility of extension. The move came to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has killed tens of thousands of people around the world.

Yemen has so far registered one coronavirus case, but the country’s healthcare system has been stressed by the ongoing civil war.

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The country has been beset by violence and chaos since 2014, when Iranian-backed Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

The crisis escalated in 2015 when a Saudi-led military coalition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains.

Tens of thousands of Yemenis, including civilians, are believed to have been killed in the conflict, which has led to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis as millions remain at risk of starvation.

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