In Yemen, pro-government troops besiege rebel military base

“The failure of Saudi Arabia and other coalition members to investigate apparently unlawful air strikes in Yemen demonstrates the need for the United Nations Human Rights Council to create a commission of inquiry”, it said.

Two of Monday’s airstrikes killed 15 fighters allied with the coalition in the province of Lahj, security officials and field commanders said. In that case, the Saudis struck first, using the “ceasefire” as a chance to take a broad swathe of the port city of Aden in a surprise offensive.

Military operations by rebels in Aden, Taiz and other areas “have repeatedly put civilians and civilian structures such as hospitals at unnecessary risk”, the rights group said in the statement.

But the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television reported that Houthi forces had shelled the northerly al-Tawal region on the Saudi border hours after the truce was meant to have started, and that Saudi forces had retaliated.

Fierce issues also smashed out while in the nearby town of Sabr, which can be over a present way that was critical.

At least 25 pro-government fighters were killed Monday in multiple fronts in southern Yemen, said medical and security officials.

The Huthi Shiite rebels, who control swathes of Yemen including the capital Sanaa, said they had not been consulted about the unilateral coalition ceasefire that began at midnight (Sunday 2100 GMT).

The Arab coalition fighting the Houthis had announced a five-day truce from 11:59 p.m. (2159 London time) on Sunday to allow in emergency aid amid severe shortages of fuel, food and medicine.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters, say coalition planes carried out flyovers Monday but did not drop munitions.

“It is extremely worrying that the past couple of months have seen an increasing number of attacks against health-care workers and relief personnel in the country”, a statement said.

Johannes Van Der Klaauw, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, made an urgent appeal for humanitarian access, saying after a visit to Aden that the city was “devastated”.