The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the US military intercepted two ballistic missiles fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels over the skies of Abu Dhabi on Monday.

UAE and US intercept Houthi missile attack targeting Abu Dhabi

In a further escalation in hostilities in the Yemen war, the Houthi rebels have seized an Emirati flagship in the red sea. According to the Houthis, the vessel was full to the deck with weapons military jeeps, and other ammunition.

Houthi rebels have seized an Emirati flagship in the red sea

In the final days of the presidency, the Trump administration has designated Yemen's Houthi rebels as a terrorist organization. This move has faced widespread backlash, with international bodies saying that it could lead to a famine in Yemen. On the West Asia Post this week, Ghadi Francis tells you what this move means for the war-torn nation. For more such stories, keep watching the West Asia post with Ghadi Francis every Friday at 8:30 PM IST, only on WION.

The West Asia Post | US puts Houthis on terror list| What does this mean for Yemen

Joe Biden's nominee for National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has slammed Donald Trump for designating Yemen Houthi rebels as terrorists.

Jake Sullivan slams Trump's move on Yemen Houthi rebels

A 48-hour ceasefire ended Monday in Yemen after failing to stem violence across the country, with both sides blaming each other for deadly &quot;violations&quot; of the US-backed truce. &nbsp;

The ceasefire, aimed at ending the chaos and bloodshed that has gripped Yemen since March 2015, came into effect on Saturday following the intervention of US Secretary of State John Kerry.

But despite a lull in air strikes on the rebel-held capital, both parties traded accusations over hundreds of violations.

The Saudi-led coalition said the truce ended at midday (0900 GMT) Monday, and accused Iran-backed insurgents of repeatedly breaking it. &quot;There is no respect (for the truce), only violations,&quot; coalition spokesman Major General Ahmed Assiri told AFP.

&quot;There have been more people killed in (the southwestern city of) Taez and more attacks with surface-to- surface missiles, so automatically the conditions are not there&quot; for prolonging the ceasefire deal, he said. &nbsp;&quot;At the military level, for the moment, we have no orders to extend the ceasefire. It&#39;s over.&quot;

The coalition had said the truce could be renewed if the rebels abided by the deal and allowed aid deliveries to besieged cities. But both sides have accused each other of incessantly breaking the conditions of the deal, and violence flared as its expiration loomed.

Fifteen rebels and nine loyalist troops were killed in clashes overnight in and around Taez, military and medical sources said. Four civilians were also killed and 11 others wounded in rebel bombing of loyalist-held neighbourhoods, the sources said.

Early Monday, forces loyal to Hadi attacked Shiite Houthi rebels and their allies on the western outskirts of Taez, according to military officials. The offensive targeted an air defence base, the officials said, while witnesses reported loud explosions.

Four of the Houthi casualties were killed in an air strike by the Saudi-led coalition.

Coalition warplanes hit rebel positions in Nahm, north of rebel-held capital Sanaa, and in the Houthis&#39;&nbsp;heartland in Saada province, witnesses said. And warplanes also conducted numerous sorties over Sanaa early Monday. &nbsp;

Trading blame

The ceasefire was the latest international effort to put an end to Yemen&#39;s 20-month conflict, which the United Nations says has killed more than 7,000 people and wounded nearly 37,000.

Yemen&#39;s Houthi rebels overran Sanaa and other parts of the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country in September 2014, prompting the Saudi-led coalition to intervene six months later in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

Pro-Hadi forces said Monday they repelled a rebel attack on their positions in Sarwah, in Marib province, east of the capital. The ceasefire appeared to be shaky from the outset, and Assiri accused the rebels of 563 violations in Yemen and an additional 163 cross-border violations in Saudi Arabia.

A spokesman for renegade Yemeni troops allied with the rebels accused the pro-Hadi forces of more than 100 ceasefire violations. &nbsp;Local aid activists and witnesses also accused the rebels of blocking a relief convoy of 18 lorries from reaching the city of Taez on Sunday.&nbsp;

The UN children&#39;s agency UNICEF says nearly three million people in Yemen are in need of immediate food supplies, while 1.5 million children suffer malnutrition, including 370,000 enduring very severe malnutrition that weakens their immune system. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Both sides blamed each other for hundreds of violations despite a lull in air strikes in the rebel-held capital Sanaa

A 48-hour ceasefire ended Monday in Yemen after failing to stem violence across the country, with both sides blaming each other for deadly "violations" of the US-backed truce. The ceasefire, aimed at ending the chaos and bloodshed that has gripped Yemen since March 2015, came into effect on Saturday following the intervention of US Secretary of State John Kerry. But despite a lull in air strikes on the rebel-held capital, both parties traded accusations over hundreds of violations. The Saudi-led coalition said the truce ended at midday (0900 GMT) Monday, and accused Iran-backed insurgents of repeatedly breaking it. "There is no respect (for the truce), only violations," coalition spokesman Major General Ahmed Assiri told AFP. "There have been more people killed in (the southwestern city of) Taez and more attacks with surface-to- surface missiles, so automatically the conditions are not there" for prolonging the ceasefire deal, he said. "At the military level, for the moment, we have no orders to extend the ceasefire. It's over." The coalition had said the truce could be renewed if the rebels abided by the deal and allowed aid deliveries to besieged cities. But both sides have accused each other of incessantly breaking the conditions of the deal, and violence flared as its expiration loomed. Fifteen rebels and nine loyalist troops were killed in clashes overnight in and around Taez, military and medical sources said. Four civilians were also killed and 11 others wounded in rebel bombing of loyalist-held neighbourhoods, the sources said. Early Monday, forces loyal to Hadi attacked Shiite Houthi rebels and their allies on the western outskirts of Taez, according to military officials. The offensive targeted an air defence base, the officials said, while witnesses reported loud explosions. Four of the Houthi casualties were killed in an air strike by the Saudi-led coalition. Coalition warplanes hit rebel positions in Nahm, north of rebel-held capital Sanaa, and in the Houthis' heartland in Saada province, witnesses said. And warplanes also conducted numerous sorties over Sanaa early Monday. Trading blame The ceasefire was the latest international effort to put an end to Yemen's 20-month conflict, which the United Nations says has killed more than 7,000 people and wounded nearly 37,000. Yemen's Houthi rebels overran Sanaa and other parts of the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country in September 2014, prompting the Saudi-led coalition to intervene six months later in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. Pro-Hadi forces said Monday they repelled a rebel attack on their positions in Sarwah, in Marib province, east of the capital. The ceasefire appeared to be shaky from the outset, and Assiri accused the rebels of 563 violations in Yemen and an additional 163 cross-border violations in Saudi Arabia. A spokesman for renegade Yemeni troops allied with the rebels accused the pro-Hadi forces of more than 100 ceasefire violations. Local aid activists and witnesses also accused the rebels of blocking a relief convoy of 18 lorries from reaching the city of Taez on Sunday. The UN children's agency UNICEF says nearly three million people in Yemen are in need of immediate food supplies, while 1.5 million children suffer malnutrition, including 370,000 enduring very severe malnutrition that weakens their immune system. (AFP)

Yemen: Ceasefire between Saudi-led coalition, Houthi rebels ends without extension