3 civilians killed as Saudi forces shell border regions in northwestern Yemen

At least three people have been killed and several others injured after Saudi border troops fired barrages of artillery rounds at residential neighborhoods in Yemen’s northwestern province of Sa’ada, close to the border with the kingdom.

The Arabic-language al-Masirah television network, citing local sources speaking on condition of anonymity, reported that three civilians lost their lives on Saturday as Saudi military struck the Shada'a district.

Another five people sustained injuries when Saudi troops pounded the same Yemeni district in separate artillery attacks.

On Friday, Saudi soldiers launched a number of artillery rounds at the Shada'a district, and left three civilians injured there.

Yemeni forces inflict massive losses on UAE mercenaries

Moreover, Yemeni army troops and fighters from the allied Popular Committees have managed to inflict serious losses on the United Arab Emirates (UAE)'s mercenaries during the latest advances in the central province of Ma'rib.

Local media reported that Yemeni forces have assumed control over a number of areas in the Harib district, and killed dozens of UAE-backed militants – better known by the nom de guerre the Giants – in the process. Several high-profile militant commanders were reportedly among the fatalities.

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• Yemen: Fragile truce ‘may end at any moment’ as Saudi aggression, siege rage

Earlier this week, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said momentum to end the conflict in Yemen has been renewed by the Chinese-mediated agreement on rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Addressing the Security Council on Wednesday, he urged warring parties to “seize the opportunity” to take decisive steps toward peace.

“Intense diplomatic efforts are ongoing at different levels to bring the conflict in Yemen to an end,” Grundberg told the 15-member Security Council. “We are currently witnessing renewed regional diplomatic momentum, as well as a step change in the scope and depth of the discussions.”

“The parties must seize the opportunity presented by this regional and international momentum to take decisive steps towards a more peaceful future,” he said. 

“The parties must seize the opportunity presented by this regional and international momentum to take decisive steps towards a more peaceful future.”

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• Iran says supports UN efforts to bring peace to war-wracked Yemen

“The overall military situation in Yemen continues to be relatively stable ... But this is fragile,” the senior UN official said.

“The truce can only be a steppingstone. We urgently need to build on what was achieved by the truce and work toward a nationwide ceasefire and an inclusive political settlement to end the conflict in Yemen,” he said.

A UN-brokered truce agreed in Yemen last April has largely held despite expiring in October without agreement between the parties to extend it.

Saudi Arabia, in collaboration with its Arab allies and with arms and logistics support from the US and other Western states, launched the devastating war on Yemen in March 2015.

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• Yemenis sue top US arms producers for ‘aiding war crimes’ in conflict-plagued nation

The objective was to crush the popular Ansarullah resistance movement, which has been running state affairs in the absence of a functional government in Yemen, and reinstall the Riyadh-friendly regime of Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi.

The Saudi-led coalition has failed to achieve any of its objectives. Hundreds of thousands of Yemenis have been killed. Yemen is witnessing the world’s worst humanitarian crisis now.

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