Heavy fighting erupts in Yemen despite truce

Sanaa: Heavy fighting broke out between forces of the Yemen government and the Houthi militia despite a two-month truce brokered by the UN, a military source said.

The fighting took place on Monday at the frontline in the al-Balak al-Sharki mountain, a few kilometres to the south of the government-controlled city of Marib, capital of the namesake province, the source told Xinhua news agency.

“Several soldiers were wounded in the clashes,” he added.

According to the city’s residents, artillery fire and gun shots were heard throughout the day.

The Houthis are yet to comment on the development.

So far, the ceasefire has been largely held despite occasional accusations of breaches traded between the warring sides.

The UN-brokered ceasefire, meant to last two months, went into effect on April 2, marking the first major breakthrough in years to end the war that has killed tens of thousands of people and pushed the country on the brink of starvation.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed government out of the capital Sanaa.

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