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Saudis, mercenaries keep breaching truce in Yemen: Houthis

Tuesday, 12 April 2016 5:44 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 12 April 2016 6:18 PM ]

A Yemeni boy carries a ladder in front of buildings that were damaged by airstrikes carried out by the Saudi Arabia on March 23, 2016 in the UNESCO-listed old city of Yemeni capital Sana’a. (AFP photo)

Yemen’s Houthi Ansarullah movement has accused Saudi Arabia and its mercenaries of constantly violating a truce agreement across the country, saying the Saudis have almost no regard for the UN-sponsored deal less than a week before peace talks.

The Houthi-run al-Masirah TV said on Tuesday that pro-Saudi militants have targeted numerous positions of Houthis as well as civilians while Saudi fighter jets continued pounding positions across Yemen despite the truce which came into effect at midnight between Sunday and Monday.

The report said Saudi mercenaries had launched rocket attacks on residential places in Jawf, Marib and Sa’ada provinces, all of them north of Yemen. Similar attacks were also carried out in central province of Ta’izz in the east.

It said Saudi warplanes attacked positions in the same provinces plus Sana’a, Amran and al-Hudaydah in the north while a health center in Lahij in southern Yemen came under fire.

Houthis on Monday recorded 39 violations of truce by Saudis and allies, including attacks in Ta’izz and the central province of Baida. They said Saudi warplanes also flew sorties over several areas of Yemen.

Saudi officials responded by describing the breaches as “minor”, accusing the Houthis of carrying out attacks on forces loyal to Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, Yemen’s resigned president who enjoys support from Riyadh.

Officials in the UN admitted cases of violations ahead of peace talks scheduled in Kuwait on April 18. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said there were “some pockets of violence” but said that “the cessation of hostilities seems to be largely holding.”

Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam warned in a statement on Facebook that “continued military action endangers the peace process and reduce the chances of holding the forthcoming dialogue".

Ansarullah says around 9,500 people have been killed in more than a year of Saudi aggression against Yemen while hundreds of thousands have been displaced across the country. The UN estimates show that fighting in Yemen has put more than 80 percent of the population on the brink of famine.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk