Yemeni minister calls on Houthis to release 51,000 tons of wheat intended for relief efforts

DUBAI: Yemen’s national army forces gained advances on their battlefield positions against Houthis on several fronts in the country’s western coast, where the militia have suffered dozens of deaths and injuries, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday. 

“The fighting spread throughout the past two days, with the support of coalition fighters in Yemen, to the south of the city, including the neighborhoods north of the airport and to the surroundings of the University of Hodeidah,” said a field source.

The sources added that the Yemeni forces advanced against the militia in the area east of the entrance to the city of Hodeidah, attacking Houthi positions. 

Coalition jets raided the positions and reinforcements of the Houthi militia with approximately 15 airstrikes east of the city, which resulted in the death of 30 militia forces and dozens of injuries.

“The militia tried to attack the town of Hayes from the east, but national army forces forced it to retreat after fierce fighting that lasted for several hours,” the source said.

Meanwhile, the forces from the army clashed on Monday with the Houthi militia in the central-eastern province of Al-Baydah. 

“The forces of Yemen’s National Army in the axis of Bihan and Al-Baydah fought with the militias on the positions of the national army,” said Brigadier General Musaed Azzam Al-Harthi, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense. 

Al-Harithi said that the militia used various types of weapons and mortar shells, yet suffered heavy losses with six casualties and injuries to a number of others.