Yemenis warring factions agree to form peace committee

A Yemen ceasefire appeared to have collapsed yesterday as government forces captured two towns from rebels and the Saudi-led coalition accused the Iran-backed insurgents of firing two ballistic missiles.

“The leadership of the coalition asserts that while it is committed to the success of the negotiations in Geneva…it will not abide by the ceasefire for long in the shadow of this threat to the kingdom’s territory”, SPA said.

Yemeni negotiators taking part in U.N.-sponsored peace talks agreed on Saturday to form a committee to oversee a fragile ceasefire after fresh fighting imperiled their efforts to end Yemen’s civil war, sources close to the talks told Reuters.

Troops loyal to President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and allied tribesmen seized Hazm on Friday after making significant gains in Marib, which lies south of Jawf, sources told the AFP news agency.

Yemeni government forces were within 40 kilometres of the rebel-held capital on Saturday as they pressed their advance against Shia rebels in disregard of a UN-brokered ceasefire, military sources said.

Yemeni security sources and witnesses say fierce fighting in northern Yemen’s Hajjah province near the Saudi border has killed more than 75 troops over the past three days.

In another move that had been seen as promising, the pro-government forces and rebels completed an exchange of hundreds of prisoners in the southern province of Lahj on Thursday.

“He urges all parties to respect this agreement and allow unhindered access for the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the most affected districts of Yemen”, the statement said.

The other missile landed in a dessert area in the Saudi border province of Najran, it said.

In 2014, the Huthis advanced from their northern strongholds before occupying government buildings in Sanaa in September that year and forcing Hadi into exile in Saudi Arabia months later.

The Houthis expressed annoyance at the UN Special Envoy for failing to condemn the violations, and suspended their involvement in peace talks because of the continued airstrikes, saying they won’t resume talks until there is a UN statement condemning them. More than 5,800 people have been killed in Yemen-about half of them civilians-and more than 27,000 wounded since March, according to the UN.