UAE-backed Yemeni government forces fought their way into Hodeida airport this afternoon, pressing an offensive that has seen some of the most intense fighting of a three-year war against Shiite Huthi rebels.
The United Arab Emirates, which has US-trained troops fighting alongside the Yemeni army, says the alliance has entered the airport in Hodeida — a Red Sea port city that is a key aid hub and the entry point for three-quarters of Yemen’s imports.
“With the participation and support of the Emirati armed forces, the joint Yemeni resistance (army) entered Hodeida airport,” the UAE state news agency WAM tweets.
A Yemeni military source confirms to AFP that troops entered the rebel base at the disused airport on the southern edge of the city.
Military sources also report that 33 Huthis and 19 soldiers killed in today’s battle, bringing the death toll in Hodeida this week to 216 fighters. No civilian casualties have yet been confirmed.
The battle for Hodeida has sparked fears of a new escalation of the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, which is already teetering on the brink of famine.
— AFP
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