Forces loyal to Yemen’s government clashed with the Houthi rebel militia in the country’s Red Sea port city of Hodeidah on Sunday, a military official told Xinhua.
“A group of Houthi gunmen attempted to sneak into the government-held sites in Hodeidah’s district of Tuhyata and sparked intense clashes in the area,” the local source said on condition of anonymity.
The joint pro-government forces thwarted the Houthi infiltration attempt and killed five rebel gunmen and wounded several others in Hodeidah’s southern part, he said.
He confirmed that at least eight soldiers of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces were injured in the armed confrontation with the Houthi militia.
Hodeidah, a lifeline for millions facing starvation, has seen a shaky cease-fire between the government and the Houthi group since they reached an UN-sponsored truce in Stockholm in Dec. 2018.
The truce was considered as the first phase toward a nationwide cease-fire to end Yemen’s years-long military conflict, but fighting continued across the impoverished Arab country.
The strategic city of Hodeidah is under the control of the Houthis, while the government forces have advanced to the country’s southern and eastern districts.
