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Truce in Yemen’s Hodeida starts Tuesday: UN source
DUBAI, Dec 17, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – The UN-brokered agreement to halt
hostilities in Yemen’s Hodeida and its surroundings starts on Tuesday, a
United Nations official told AFP on Monday after renewed clashes in the
flashpoint city.
When asked if the ceasefire in Hodeida province starts midnight Monday, the
UN official, who requested anonymity, said: “it is true”.
The announcement of the ceasefire date follows Yemen’s warring sides
clinching a deal in Sweden on Thursday, under which an “immediate ceasefire”
was to be implemented in Hodeida.
The UN source said the delay until 2100 GMT on Monday was necessary for
“operational reasons”.
Yemen’s Foreign Minister Khaled al-Yamani, who led the government’s
delegation to the peace talks, told state-run television late Sunday that the
ceasefire takes effect at midnight Monday.
Residents in Hodeida and the surrounding areas have reported fierce
fighting and air strikes in recent days, as clashes continued between Saudi-
backed government forces and the Iran-aligned Huthi rebels.
At least 29 fighters, including 22 Huthi rebels, were killed on Saturday
night in Hodeida province, a pro-government military source told AFP.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 1553 hrs