The government of Yemen on Monday accused the Houthi rebels of strengthening its hold on the southern city of Taiz by launching a deadly attack on the only road connecting it with other cities.
The government urged the United Nations (UN) envoy to Yemen and the international community to pressurise the militant group to stop the attacks. In a recent fight that broke out between the government forces and the Houthis, 10 soldiers were killed, while seven others were wounded.
Following the attacks on August 28, the Yemeni government released a statement stating, “This is a flagrant challenge to all initiatives and endeavors aimed at ending the war and achieving peace. It undermines efforts to extend and expand the humanitarian truce, and seeks to impose the siege on the city of Taiz, which has already been besieged for seven years.”
In the latest attack, the Houthis targetted soldiers guarding the Al-Dhabab Road, the militants advanced to seize control of the road which helped them strengthen the hold on Taiz city.
After the UN truce, the conflicting parties agreed to set aside hostilities to resume commercial flights from Houthi-held Sanaa, allow more fuel ships to enter Hodeidah port, and engage in discussions in Amman to open roads in Taiz and other provinces.
Rights groups have called on the Houthis to end the attacks.
“Houthi restrictions have forced civilians to use dangerous and poorly maintained mountain roads that are the only connection between Taiz city’s besieged population and the rest of the world,” Deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch Michael Page was quoted as saying by Arab News.
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