Yemen’s Houthi rebels announce three-day ceasefire after Saudi attacks

SANA’A, Yemen — Yemen’s Houthi rebels announce a three-day truce and dangle the prospect of a “permanent” ceasefire if the Saudi-led coalition ends its operations against the impoverished country.

Today’s statement comes a day after a wave of drone and missile attacks hit targets across Saudi Arabia, including an oil plant near the Formula One race in Jeddah, triggering an inferno.

Rebel political leader Mahdi al-Mashat announces the “suspension of missile and drone strikes and all military actions for a period of three days.

“And we are ready to turn this declaration into a final and permanent commitment in the event that Saudi Arabia commits to ending the siege and stopping its raids on Yemen once and for all.”

There is no immediate response from Saudi Arabia, which retaliated to yesterday’s attacks by launching airstrikes against Sana’a and Hodeida and destroying four explosives-laden boats.

The truce came on the seventh anniversary of the Saudi-led coalition’s intervention to support Yemen’s government after the Iran-backed Houthis seized the capital Sana’a in 2014.