Yemeni forces managed to repel a wide-scale offensive by the Saudi-led coalition on the port city of Hodeidah, inflicting losses upon the aggression forces on Sunday.
Spokesman of Yemeni armed forces Brigadier General Yehya Sarih said that aggression forces were inflicted heavy losses in the last 24 hours, noting that the number of those killed in the foiled offensive surpassed 200.
Dozens of vehicles were also destroyed by the Yemeni forces, Sarih said, pointing out to the intensified strikes by the Saudi-led coalition.
The Saudi-led warplanes waged more than 65 airstrikes on al-Mandhar, Hodeidah airport, Killo-16 in al-Duraihmi district, Yemeni media reported.
“Committed to Escalation”
On Monday, the Saudi-led coalition claimed it was “committed to de-escalating hostilities” in the Arab impoverished country.
“The coalition is committed to de-escalating hostilities in Yemen and is strongly supportive of the UN envoy’s political process,” a source in the Saudi-led coalition told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The coalition’s remarks come few days after US officials were talking about halting the war on Yemen.
US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the US had been watching the conflict “for long enough,” and that he believed Saudi Arabia and the UAE were “ready” for talks.
Mattis’ call was later echoed by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who urged the coalition to stop airstrikes in Yemen’s populated areas, saying the “time is now for the cessation of hostilities.”
“Escalation Evidence of US Remarks Falseness”
For his part, Head of the Supreme Revolutionary Committee, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, on Monday considered the military escalation an attempt to hinder any talks aimed at stopping the war and bringing peace.
“This escalation is evidence of the falseness of US statements demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities, while it is the actual commander in the war ” al-Houthi said in a statement.
He added that when the coalition countries failed to achieve any victory in the western coast, they started to bomb the residential neighborhoods in Hodeidah city committing new massacres against civilians, including women and children.
“It was customary to have a military escalation following any US statement of peace or talk about the humanitarian side,” al-Houthi said.
Source: Agencies
