Hodeidah: Houthi attack foiled by pro-government forces in Al Durayhimi

Eight Iran-backed rebels and a soldier from Al Amalikah Brigades were killed in the fighting

Houthi rebels prevented an Emirates Red Crescent relief convoy from providing aid to 50 civilians in the centre of the Al Durayhimi district. Reuters

Pro-government forces on Monday foiled an attack from the Houthi rebels on sites controlled by Al Amalikah forces on the outskirts of Al Durayhimi, in eastern Hodeidah.

Col Mamoon Al Mahjami, spokesman of Al Amalikah Brigades, told The National that eight Houthi rebels and a soldier were killed in the fighting.

“Five were injured amid the intensified clashes in which the Houthis used artillery and mortars, which prove that the attack was planned in advance, not arbitrarily launched,” Col Al Mahjami said.

He said the attack was yet another breach of the ceasefire agreed to by the two sides in Stockholm, in December last year.

"They shelled residences of civilians in the southern areas of Hodeidah, such as Hays district and Al Tuhaiyta and Al Jabaliya,” Col Al Mahjami said.

In the port city of Hodeidah, sporadic clashes between the Houthi militia and fighters from the National Resistance Forces led by Maj Gen Tariq Saleh, nephew of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, took place around the medical college in the city's south.

“The Houthi militia announces repeatedly its commitment to withdraw from the ports and the city of Hodeidah, according to the UN plans," a resident said.

"But what the Houthis are doing in the city is totally different. On Sunday night they cut the internet service all over Hodeidah and blocked some openings in Al Khamseen Street.

"They brought dozens of old tyres and placed them along the street to burn them. This indicates that they are still preparing for a new round of the confrontations."

On Monday, the special envoy to Yemen briefed the Security Council, saying that the two conflicting parties in Yemen agreed to withdraw their troops from Hodeidah.

“Both parties have now accepted the detailed redeployment plan for phase one in Hodeidah," Martin Griffiths told the council by video link.

"I am grateful to both parties for the constructive engagement that has allowed us to reach this point.

“We will now move with all speed towards resolving the final outstanding issues related to phase two of redeployments and the status of local security forces."