Saudi-led coalition seeks to recapture Yemen’s Hodeidah

By Murad Erifi

SANAA

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen on Monday launched a new military operation aimed to recapture al-Hodeidah city in western Yemen.

Brigadier Abdul Salaam Al Shehi said the operation was “building on the military momentum and advance achieved west of Taiz province”, according to the UAE’s official WAM news agency.

He said the coalition forces were preparing to carry out a “surprise and qualitative operation against the Houthi militia.”

The operation “aims to liberate and secure the west coast and break the blockade on al-Hodeidah city and port”, he said.

Earlier in the day, a Yemeni military source said government forces captured Al-Hayma port of Al-Hudaydah province with air support from the Saudi-led coalition.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said several Houthi rebels were killed in the offensive.

There was no comment from the Shia Houthi group on the claim.

Yemen has been racked by violence since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country. The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its allies launched a massive air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi gains.

The ongoing violence has devastated basic services, including water and sanitation systems, prompting the UN to describe the situation in Yemen as one of “the world’s worst humanitarian disasters in modern times”.