A soldier of the Yemeni pro-government forces stands on a military vehicle in Hodeidah, Yemen, on Nov. 15, 2018. Relative calm prevailed Thursday in most parts of Yemen's war-ravaged port city of Hodeidah, despite sporadic clashes between the two warring rivals. (Xinhua)
by Murad Abdu
ADEN, Yemen, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- Relative calm prevailed Thursday in most parts of Yemen's war-ravaged port city of Hodeidah, despite sporadic clashes between the two warring rivals.
The de-escalation of fighting was described by Yemeni sources as "an unannounced cease-fire" hammered out by powerful Western countries in order to pave the way for new peace talks.
An army commander of the pro-government Giants Brigades told Xinhua by phone that the "commanders of the the Saudi-led coalition along with their local Yemeni allies agreed to de-escalate fighting in Hodeidah after meeting officials from the UK and America."
The commander said that the plan to curb the fighting in Hodeidah will not continue for very long because the Houthis who are encircled resumed sporadic attacks against government forces in the city.
He described the situation as "a unilateral declaration of ceasefire" by the Saudi-led coalition and the allied Yemeni government forces only.
An official of the Aden-based Yemeni government told Xinhua that the temporary halt of fighting was optional and not compulsory.
"The fighting temporarily was paused just for humanitarian purposes and the safety of civilians is more important than any other military gains," the official said anonymously.
The government forces had planned to take the fighting into non-residential areas but the Houthi rebels withdrew and established military posts inside the populated neighborhoods of Hodeidah, he said.
Another military official of Yemen's Defence Ministry said that the "negotiations are underway with Houthis to hand over the strategic city along with its seaport peacefully without more fighting and destruction."
The Houthis realized that their military capabilities are not strong enough to confront well-trained government forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition, the source added.
Residents in Hodeidah confirmed to Xinhua there were no immediate reports of casualties after a temporary pause of the fighting in Hodeidah.
However, the Houthi-affiliated TV network Al Masirah reported that an attack was launched by their fighters against a government-controlled site in Hodeidah.
The report said earlier the day that "more than 15 mercenaries (government soldiers) were killed after an attack against their site in Hays area of Hodeidah."
It also said that a series of airstrikes were launched by the warplanes of the Saudi Arabia-led coalition against the Kilo16 quarter in Hodeidah.
At least 5 children were injured following a mortar attack by government forces against the Houthi-controlled Kilo7 quarter in Hodeidah, Al Masirah TV reported.
Rajeh Badi, spokesman of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, said that "the reports talking about ceasefire with Houthis in Hodeidah are baseless and not true."
Badi told the Middle East News Agency (MENA) of Egypt in an interview that "the liberation of Hodeidah is considered as a strategic national goal to protect Yemen and the international waters from the terrorist Houthi militias."
The Saudi-backed government forces vowed to continue pushing forward in an attempt to seize full control of the city's strategic port, but Houthis dealt with the offensive with stiff resistance.
Yemen's government and Saudi Arabia have repeatedly accused the Houthi rebels of using Hodeidah's port to smuggle Iranian weapons. Both the Houthis and Iran denied the accusation.
Hodeidah is the single most important point of entry for food and basic supplies to Yemen's northern provinces controlled by the Houthis, including the capital Sanaa.
The Arab coalition intervened in Yemen's conflict in March 2015 to roll back the Iran-allied Shiite Houthi rebels which forced the internationally-backed Yemeni government into exile.
