Yemen army monitored 130 violations of ceasefire by Houthis

The Yemeni army announced yesterday evening that it had monitored 130 violations of the ceasefire committed by the Houthis in seven governorates, in just one day.

A statement issued by the army’s media office said: “The Iranian Houthi militia continues its violations of the declared ceasefire on all fronts of the fighting in the governorates of Al-Dhale, Taiz, Lahij, Al-Hudaydah, Hajjah, Al-Jawf and Marib.”

“Our forces have monitored 130 violations of the ceasefire committed by the Houthi militia on Monday, in these governorates,” the statement said, adding that the violations included launching ground attacks and targeting army positions with heavy weapons, artillery and various weapons, digging trenches, building fortifications, constructing secondary roads, sending human reinforcements, machineries and various combat equipment to various fronts.

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Earlier on Friday, the UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, announced that the parties to the conflict had agreed to a two-month, “extendable” truce, which had been welcomed by the Saudi-led Arab coalition, government forces and the Houthis.

Since it came into effect, both parties have exchanged accusations that the other has violated the truce.

The war in Yemen erupted in 2015, since then the parties to the conflict have agreed to several ceasefires, sponsored by three former UN envoys. However, according to observers, this truce is the most significant as it allowed the partial reopening of Sanaa airport, which has been closed to commercial flights since 2016, and allows the entry of 18 oil ships to the port of Hudaydah within two months; the highest rate of fuel access to Houthis-held areas since the war started.