A&nbsp;Saudi-led&nbsp;military&nbsp;coalition&nbsp;said Tuesday it will release&nbsp;200&nbsp;Yemeni&nbsp;rebels&nbsp;and permit some flights from the insurgent-held capital Sanaa, as efforts to end the nearly five-year conflict gain momentum.

The initiatives coincide with a lull in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-led-coalition-says-yemens-houthis-seize-ship-in-red-sea-263056">Huthi attacks</a> on Saudi Arabia and come after a senior official in Riyadh this month said it had an "open channel" with the Iran-aligned&nbsp;rebels.

Patients needing medical care will be allowed to be flown out of Sanaa airport, which has been closed to commercial flights since 2016,&nbsp;coalition&nbsp;spokesman Turki al-Maliki said in a statement released by the official Saudi Press Agency.

The&nbsp;coalition&nbsp;has decided "to release&nbsp;200&nbsp;prisoners of the Huthi militia" and will facilitate flights from Sanaa for "people in need of medical care" in cooperation with the World Health Organisation, the statement added.

The decision was hailed by the Huthis, with senior leader Mohammed Ali al-Huthi calling for a "mass reception" to welcome the released&nbsp;rebels. &nbsp;

"We welcome the&nbsp;coalition&nbsp;decision... (and) call for them to end torture and abuse until all detainees and prisoners are freed," al-Huthi, a senior figure in the&nbsp;rebels' political leadership, said on Twitter.

The&nbsp;Saudi-led&nbsp;coalition&nbsp;launched a military intervention in&nbsp;Yemen&nbsp;in 2015 in support of the country's internationally recognised government.&nbsp;

It reportedly hoped for a quick win against the&nbsp;Huthis, but instead waded into a quagmire that has cost it billions of dollars and sparked a humanitarian catastrophe that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

Riyadh now appears buoyed by a power-sharing agreement it brokered earlier this month in a separate conflict between&nbsp;Yemen's internationally recognised government and southern separatists, which observers said could pave the way for a wider&nbsp;peace&nbsp;deal in the multi-faceted war.

Further raising hopes, a senior official in Riyadh subsequently said the Saudis have established an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/houthis-deceptive-over-najran-attack-claims-saudi-led-coalition-252901">"open channel" with the Huthi&nbsp;rebels</a>.

"We don't close our doors with the Huthis," the official, who declined to be named, told reporters.

'Something is changing'

Yemen, in the grip of what the UN has termed the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/attacked-saudi-border-frontline-captured-troops-houthis-252644">world's worst humanitarian crisis</a>, is widely seen as a proxy battlefront between Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia and its Shiite rival Iran.

Tuesday's development "is positive proof that the Saudi-Huthi talks are real and having at least a limited tangible impact," Hussein Ibish, a scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, told AFP.

"This is more bad news for the&nbsp;rebels' Iranian backers."

The development follows a lull in recent weeks after a spike in rebel missile and drone attacks over the summer launched from Yemeni territory on Saudi cities.

Last Friday, UN envoy Martin Griffiths said the rate of&nbsp;coalition&nbsp;airstrikes had sharply fallen over the past two weeks, in an apparent sign that "something is changing in&nbsp;Yemen".

In a sign of the limits to the new mood, however, air raids on Monday by the&nbsp;Saudi-led&nbsp;coalition&nbsp;killed eight Huthi&nbsp;rebels&nbsp;near the key western port of Hodeidah, according to local officials.

Yemen's warring parties agreed under a deal brokered in Sweden last December to exchange 15,000 prisoners, but the accord has not been fully implemented.

The&nbsp;coalition&nbsp;freed seven Huthi prisoners in January, and the&nbsp;rebels&nbsp;released 290&nbsp;coalition&nbsp;fighters in September.

The Huthis hold Sanaa while the&nbsp;Saudi led-military&nbsp;coalition&nbsp;controls&nbsp;Yemen's maritime borders and airspace.

Last year, wounded&nbsp;rebels&nbsp;were flown out of Sanaa for treatment, in what was seen as a key step ahead of the December&nbsp;peace&nbsp;talks.

A Saudi-led military coalition said Tuesday it will release 200 Yemeni rebels and permit some flights from the insurgent-held capital Sanaa, as efforts to end the nearly five-year conflict gain momentum.

A Saudi-led military coalition said Tuesday it will release 200 Yemeni rebels and permit some flights from the insurgent-held capital Sanaa, as efforts to end the nearly five-year conflict gain momentum. The initiatives coincide with a lull in Huthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and come after a senior official in Riyadh this month said it had an "open channel" with the Iran-aligned rebels. Patients needing medical care will be allowed to be flown out of Sanaa airport, which has been closed to commercial flights since 2016, coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said in a statement released by the official Saudi Press Agency. The coalition has decided "to release 200 prisoners of the Huthi militia" and will facilitate flights from Sanaa for "people in need of medical care" in cooperation with the World Health Organisation, the statement added. The decision was hailed by the Huthis, with senior leader Mohammed Ali al-Huthi calling for a "mass reception" to welcome the released rebels. "We welcome the coalition decision... (and) call for them to end torture and abuse until all detainees and prisoners are freed," al-Huthi, a senior figure in the rebels' political leadership, said on Twitter. The Saudi-led coalition launched a military intervention in Yemen in 2015 in support of the country's internationally recognised government. It reportedly hoped for a quick win against the Huthis, but instead waded into a quagmire that has cost it billions of dollars and sparked a humanitarian catastrophe that has claimed tens of thousands of lives. Riyadh now appears buoyed by a power-sharing agreement it brokered earlier this month in a separate conflict between Yemen's internationally recognised government and southern separatists, which observers said could pave the way for a wider peace deal in the multi-faceted war. Further raising hopes, a senior official in Riyadh subsequently said the Saudis have established an "open channel" with the Huthi rebels. "We don't close our doors with the Huthis," the official, who declined to be named, told reporters. 'Something is changing' Yemen, in the grip of what the UN has termed the world's worst humanitarian crisis, is widely seen as a proxy battlefront between Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia and its Shiite rival Iran. Tuesday's development "is positive proof that the Saudi-Huthi talks are real and having at least a limited tangible impact," Hussein Ibish, a scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, told AFP. "This is more bad news for the rebels' Iranian backers." The development follows a lull in recent weeks after a spike in rebel missile and drone attacks over the summer launched from Yemeni territory on Saudi cities. Last Friday, UN envoy Martin Griffiths said the rate of coalition airstrikes had sharply fallen over the past two weeks, in an apparent sign that "something is changing in Yemen". In a sign of the limits to the new mood, however, air raids on Monday by the Saudi-led coalition killed eight Huthi rebels near the key western port of Hodeidah, according to local officials. Yemen's warring parties agreed under a deal brokered in Sweden last December to exchange 15,000 prisoners, but the accord has not been fully implemented. The coalition freed seven Huthi prisoners in January, and the rebels released 290 coalition fighters in September. The Huthis hold Sanaa while the Saudi led-military coalition controls Yemen's maritime borders and airspace. Last year, wounded rebels were flown out of Sanaa for treatment, in what was seen as a key step ahead of the December peace talks.

200 Yemen rebels to be freed amid peace push: Saudi-led coalition

Watch in WION Dispatch: UK's Labour party compares Kashmir to Yemen. Watch this complete video to know more about this. #WIONDispatch

WION Dispatch: UK's Labour party compares Kashmir to Yemen

Mohammed Manea has tended honey bees northeast of Sanaa for years, but despairs that the production of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/yemen-government-separatists-sign-deal-to-end-power-struggle-in-south-260295">"Yemen's gold"</a> is under threat as the war engulfing the country drags on.

The conflict has blighted millions of lives and brought the economy to the brink of collapse. Cottage industries such as beekeeping, coffee growing and artisan manufacturing have been hit particularly hard.

Beekeepers say clashes between the Saudi-supported government and Iran-backed rebels, alongside a humanitarian crisis that the United Nations has called the world's worst, have throttled their livelihoods.

"When we recently arrived in this part of Hajjah province on the front line between the aggressors (the Saudi-led coalition) and the Huthis, the trucks were hit by an airstrike," Manea told AFP.

"One was carrying the honey, and the other was carrying the bees," he added as he used his bare hands to remove a honeycomb frame crawling with bees from a hive in the rural region of Aslam.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/yemen-rebels-seize-two-south-korean-one-saudi-vessel-263173">Yemen is renowned</a> for its Sidr honey, named after the tree from which the nectar is gathered. The honey is referred to informally as "Middle Eastern manuka", a bow to its famed market rival from New Zealand.

Watch: Yemen government, separatists sign deal to end power struggle

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/yemen-government-separatists-sign-deal-to-end-power-struggle-in-south-260295/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

'Production has dropped'

Sidr honey is said to have medicinal properties and is a bestseller in the souks and bazaars of the Gulf where it retails at a premium.

It is also a natural product that is traditionally recommended to new mothers to augment breast milk production.

Manea's fellow beekeeper, Ali Kabsh, agreed that the business was suffering badly.

"Honey production has dropped," he said pointing to the challenges of exporting during wartime and the logistical difficulties of keeping bees.

He estimated that the number of hives had dropped from between 800 and 1,000 when the war broke out in 2014 to between 100 and 150 currently. There are no official statistics that highlight the full damage suffered by the country's once-proud producers of honey.

Kabsh said that among the most significant problems he faced was travelling to find fresh flowers in bloom for his bees to harvest the nectar.

"A beekeeper's work depends on the seasons. Each region has its flowering season, so they have to move around to produce the honey," he told AFP.

In Abs, another region in Hajjah province, beekeeper Ahmed Ali al-Adili said he had struggled to export honey to Gulf states including Saudi Arabia.

The international airport in the capital Sanaa is under Huthi control and remains dormant, while most border crossings are closed, he said.&nbsp;

"My production has decreased by 90 per cent," Adili said.&nbsp;

Other traditional trades in Yemen <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/yemen-houthis-claim-capture-of-saudi-troops-252676">have also suffered</a>. The Al-Shinayni market in third city Taez once overflowed with handicrafts including products made by blacksmiths, potters and tailors. Now it is an arms bazaar in which a Kalashnikov assault rifle retails for little more than $1,000.

Tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have been killed since the Saudi-led military coalition intervened in the conflict to support the internationally-recognised government against the Huthis.

Around 3.3 million people have been displaced by the war and about 20 million people,&nbsp;more than two-thirds of the population,&nbsp;need humanitarian support to survive.&nbsp;

Mohammed Manea has tended honey bees northeast of Sanaa for years, but despairs that the production of "Yemen's gold" is under threat as the war engulfing the country drags on.

Mohammed Manea has tended honey bees northeast of Sanaa for years, but despairs that the production of "Yemen's gold" is under threat as the war engulfing the country drags on. The conflict has blighted millions of lives and brought the economy to the brink of collapse. Cottage industries such as beekeeping, coffee growing and artisan manufacturing have been hit particularly hard. Beekeepers say clashes between the Saudi-supported government and Iran-backed rebels, alongside a humanitarian crisis that the United Nations has called the world's worst, have throttled their livelihoods. "When we recently arrived in this part of Hajjah province on the front line between the aggressors (the Saudi-led coalition) and the Huthis, the trucks were hit by an airstrike," Manea told AFP. "One was carrying the honey, and the other was carrying the bees," he added as he used his bare hands to remove a honeycomb frame crawling with bees from a hive in the rural region of Aslam. Yemen is renowned for its Sidr honey, named after the tree from which the nectar is gathered. The honey is referred to informally as "Middle Eastern manuka", a bow to its famed market rival from New Zealand. Watch: Yemen government, separatists sign deal to end power struggle 'Production has dropped' Sidr honey is said to have medicinal properties and is a bestseller in the souks and bazaars of the Gulf where it retails at a premium. It is also a natural product that is traditionally recommended to new mothers to augment breast milk production. Manea's fellow beekeeper, Ali Kabsh, agreed that the business was suffering badly. "Honey production has dropped," he said pointing to the challenges of exporting during wartime and the logistical difficulties of keeping bees. He estimated that the number of hives had dropped from between 800 and 1,000 when the war broke out in 2014 to between 100 and 150 currently. There are no official statistics that highlight the full damage suffered by the country's once-proud producers of honey. Kabsh said that among the most significant problems he faced was travelling to find fresh flowers in bloom for his bees to harvest the nectar. "A beekeeper's work depends on the seasons. Each region has its flowering season, so they have to move around to produce the honey," he told AFP. In Abs, another region in Hajjah province, beekeeper Ahmed Ali al-Adili said he had struggled to export honey to Gulf states including Saudi Arabia. The international airport in the capital Sanaa is under Huthi control and remains dormant, while most border crossings are closed, he said. "My production has decreased by 90 per cent," Adili said. Other traditional trades in Yemen have also suffered. The Al-Shinayni market in third city Taez once overflowed with handicrafts including products made by blacksmiths, potters and tailors. Now it is an arms bazaar in which a Kalashnikov assault rifle retails for little more than $1,000. Tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have been killed since the Saudi-led military coalition intervened in the conflict to support the internationally-recognised government against the Huthis. Around 3.3 million people have been displaced by the war and about 20 million people, more than two-thirds of the population, need humanitarian support to survive.

Yemen: Tough times ahead for honey trade as war cripples country

Yemen's Iran-aligned rebels seized a Saudi-flagged tug and two South Korean vessels at the weekend, the insurgents and Seoul officials said on Tuesday.

The incident follows a lull in Huthi attacks on Saudi Arabia as one Riyadh official said the kingdom had established an "open channel" with the rebels in a bid to end the four-year conflict.

The Huthis acknowledged they had seized three ships, including a Saudi one, in the Red Sea a few miles off Uqban island, west of the rebel-held capital Sanaa.

Seoul's foreign ministry said a South Korean dredger was being towed by one Korean and one Saudi-flagged tug when they were seized by the Huthis.

It added that a total of 16 crew, two of them South Korean, had been taken to the Red Sea port of Saleef, where they were being held by the rebels.

"All of our citizens... are healthy and safe," ministry officials said in a statement.

"We are doing our very best for the early release of our citizens."

Seoul has sent the South Korean navy ship Cheonghae, which had been on anti-piracy standby off the coast of Oman, to waters near where the incident took place.

The Saudi-led military coalition backing Yemen's internationally recognised government accused the rebels of "hijacking" the Rabigh-3, which a global tracking website described as a Saudi-flagged vessel.

The rebels on Tuesday said the three ships were seized off Uqban island after they entered "territorial waters without prior notice", according to a statement carried by their Al-Masirah television channel.

The ships were taken to Saleef, it added, without disclosing the nationalities or number of crew members.

The Huthi rebels have been fighting the government and its allies for more than four years in a war that has pushed the country to the brink of famine.

A year after the Huthis seized Sanaa, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and their allies intervened in the conflict in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

Since 2015, tens of thousands of people,&nbsp;most of them civilians,&nbsp;have been killed in a conflict that has triggered what the United Nations has described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Earlier this month, a senior Saudi official raised hopes of possible de-escalation after he said Riyadh had an "open channel" with the rebels with the goal of ending the conflict.

Yemen's Iran-aligned rebels seized a Saudi-flagged tug and two South Korean vessels at the weekend, the insurgents and Seoul officials said on Tuesday. The incident follows a lull in Huthi attacks on Saudi Arabia as one Riyadh official said the kingdom had established an "open channel" with the rebels in a bid to end the four-year conflict.

Yemen's Iran-aligned rebels seized a Saudi-flagged tug and two South Korean vessels at the weekend, the insurgents and Seoul officials said on Tuesday. The incident follows a lull in Huthi attacks on Saudi Arabia as one Riyadh official said the kingdom had established an "open channel" with the rebels in a bid to end the four-year conflict. The Huthis acknowledged they had seized three ships, including a Saudi one, in the Red Sea a few miles off Uqban island, west of the rebel-held capital Sanaa. Seoul's foreign ministry said a South Korean dredger was being towed by one Korean and one Saudi-flagged tug when they were seized by the Huthis. It added that a total of 16 crew, two of them South Korean, had been taken to the Red Sea port of Saleef, where they were being held by the rebels. "All of our citizens... are healthy and safe," ministry officials said in a statement. "We are doing our very best for the early release of our citizens." Seoul has sent the South Korean navy ship Cheonghae, which had been on anti-piracy standby off the coast of Oman, to waters near where the incident took place. The Saudi-led military coalition backing Yemen's internationally recognised government accused the rebels of "hijacking" the Rabigh-3, which a global tracking website described as a Saudi-flagged vessel. The rebels on Tuesday said the three ships were seized off Uqban island after they entered "territorial waters without prior notice", according to a statement carried by their Al-Masirah television channel. The ships were taken to Saleef, it added, without disclosing the nationalities or number of crew members. The Huthi rebels have been fighting the government and its allies for more than four years in a war that has pushed the country to the brink of famine. A year after the Huthis seized Sanaa, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and their allies intervened in the conflict in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. Since 2015, tens of thousands of people, most of them civilians, have been killed in a conflict that has triggered what the United Nations has described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Earlier this month, a senior Saudi official raised hopes of possible de-escalation after he said Riyadh had an "open channel" with the rebels with the goal of ending the conflict.

Yemen rebels seize two South Korean, one Saudi vessel

A Yemeni man stabbed three actors at a performance in the Saudi capital, police said on Tuesday, in the first such attack since the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-names-new-foreign-minister-in-generational-shift-257936">ultra-conservative kingdom</a> began easing decades-old restrictions on entertainment.

The knife-wielding assailant was arrested after state television footage showed him storming a musical performance in Riyadh's King Abdullah Park by what appeared to be a foreign theatre troupe.

Police said the victims were in stable condition after the attack late Monday, which comes as de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pursues sweeping reforms that mark the biggest cultural shakeup in the kingdom's modern history.

"Security forces dealt with a... stabbing attack against two men and a woman from a theatre group during a live performance," a police spokesman was quoted as saying by the official Saudi Press Agency.

Police identified the assailant as a 33-year-old Yemeni expatriate but did not give details of his motive or the nationality of his victims.

The King Abdullah Park is one of the venues hosting the two-month "Riyadh Season", an art and entertainment festival that is part of a broad government push to open up the kingdom to tourists and diversify its economy away from oil.

Prince Mohammed has introduced mixed-gender concerts, re-opened cinemas and lifted a decades-old ban on women drivers as part of a drive to modernise the Muslim kingdom.

In scenes that were unimaginable just two years ago, Saudi Arabia has staged glitzy performances by a host of international artists, from South Korean boy band BTS to pop icon Janet Jackson and rapper 50 Cent.

Last month, the kingdom hosted its first-ever women's wrestling match as it attempts to shrug off its ultra-conservative image.

The knife attack has left many Saudis shocked, with some on social media denouncing it as an act of "terrorism".

"Every instigator against entertainment is a partner in this extremist act," one Twitter user said.

'Collision course'

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-to-allow-women-to-serve-in-armed-forces-255090">Saudi officials</a> warn that introducing such wide-ranging reforms in a society steeped in conservatism is fraught with peril.

While they are wildly popular among Saudi Arabia's mainly young population, the reforms risk angering arch-conservatives, including hardline clerics and the religious police whose powers have been clipped in recent years.

"The risk of this sort of attack against the recent introduction of public entertainment, which many clerics have been inciting against, is a key reason (the government) has pursued a zero-tolerance policy towards their public attacks against change and reform," Saudi analyst Ali Shihabi said on Twitter.

Earlier this year, human rights campaigners reported the arrest of religious scholar Omar al-Muqbil after he criticised the Saudi General Entertainment Authority for hosting such concerts, saying they were "erasing Saudi society's original identity".

"Liberals and conservatives in the kingdom are on a collision course and that probably worries Saudi leaders the most," Quentin de Pimodan, a Saudi expert at the Greece-based Research Institute for European and American Studies, told AFP.

"After this attack we can expect a sharper crackdown on those opposed to Saudi's entertainment push."

Saudi Arabia has already drawn international censure for its sweeping crackdown on critics, including clerics, intellectuals and women activists.

The kingdom has faced international scrutiny over its human rights record since last year's murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in Istanbul.

Developing the tourism and leisure sector is one of the foundations of Prince Mohammed's Vision 2030 plan to prepare the Arab world's largest economy for the post-oil era.

The General Entertainment Authority has said it plans to pump $64 billion into the sector in the coming decade.

Some Saudis, however, view the push for entertainment as an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-welcomes-24000-tourists-in-10-days-254557">attempt to blunt public frustration</a> over an economic downturn and high youth unemployment in the petro-state.

A Yemeni man stabbed three actors at a performance in the Saudi capital, police said on Tuesday, in the first such attack since the ultra-conservative kingdom began easing decades-old restrictions on entertainment.

A Yemeni man stabbed three actors at a performance in the Saudi capital, police said on Tuesday, in the first such attack since the ultra-conservative kingdom began easing decades-old restrictions on entertainment. The knife-wielding assailant was arrested after state television footage showed him storming a musical performance in Riyadh's King Abdullah Park by what appeared to be a foreign theatre troupe. Police said the victims were in stable condition after the attack late Monday, which comes as de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pursues sweeping reforms that mark the biggest cultural shakeup in the kingdom's modern history. "Security forces dealt with a... stabbing attack against two men and a woman from a theatre group during a live performance," a police spokesman was quoted as saying by the official Saudi Press Agency. Police identified the assailant as a 33-year-old Yemeni expatriate but did not give details of his motive or the nationality of his victims. The King Abdullah Park is one of the venues hosting the two-month "Riyadh Season", an art and entertainment festival that is part of a broad government push to open up the kingdom to tourists and diversify its economy away from oil. Prince Mohammed has introduced mixed-gender concerts, re-opened cinemas and lifted a decades-old ban on women drivers as part of a drive to modernise the Muslim kingdom. In scenes that were unimaginable just two years ago, Saudi Arabia has staged glitzy performances by a host of international artists, from South Korean boy band BTS to pop icon Janet Jackson and rapper 50 Cent. Last month, the kingdom hosted its first-ever women's wrestling match as it attempts to shrug off its ultra-conservative image. The knife attack has left many Saudis shocked, with some on social media denouncing it as an act of "terrorism". "Every instigator against entertainment is a partner in this extremist act," one Twitter user said. 'Collision course' Saudi officials warn that introducing such wide-ranging reforms in a society steeped in conservatism is fraught with peril. While they are wildly popular among Saudi Arabia's mainly young population, the reforms risk angering arch-conservatives, including hardline clerics and the religious police whose powers have been clipped in recent years. "The risk of this sort of attack against the recent introduction of public entertainment, which many clerics have been inciting against, is a key reason (the government) has pursued a zero-tolerance policy towards their public attacks against change and reform," Saudi analyst Ali Shihabi said on Twitter. Earlier this year, human rights campaigners reported the arrest of religious scholar Omar al-Muqbil after he criticised the Saudi General Entertainment Authority for hosting such concerts, saying they were "erasing Saudi society's original identity". "Liberals and conservatives in the kingdom are on a collision course and that probably worries Saudi leaders the most," Quentin de Pimodan, a Saudi expert at the Greece-based Research Institute for European and American Studies, told AFP. "After this attack we can expect a sharper crackdown on those opposed to Saudi's entertainment push." Saudi Arabia has already drawn international censure for its sweeping crackdown on critics, including clerics, intellectuals and women activists. The kingdom has faced international scrutiny over its human rights record since last year's murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in Istanbul. Developing the tourism and leisure sector is one of the foundations of Prince Mohammed's Vision 2030 plan to prepare the Arab world's largest economy for the post-oil era. The General Entertainment Authority has said it plans to pump $64 billion into the sector in the coming decade. Some Saudis, however, view the push for entertainment as an attempt to blunt public frustration over an economic downturn and high youth unemployment in the petro-state.

Three actors stabbed on stage in Saudi capital by Yemeni man amid eased restrictions in country

Yemen's rebels will have a role in their country's future, a UAE minister said Sunday, voicing optimism that a recent peace deal between the government and southern separatists could lead to a wider solution.

The comments were the latest conciliatory move in the long-running Yemen conflict after the Iran-backed Huthis offered in September to halt attacks on Saudi Arabia.

Anwar Gargash, minister of state for foreign affairs&nbsp;in the United Arab Emirates,&nbsp;a key member in the Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen's government against the Huthis,&nbsp;urged all sides to maintain momentum for a political solution.

"Such an agreement must take account of the legitimate aspirations of all parts of Yemeni society. That includes the Huthis," Gargash said at a political conference in Abu Dhabi.

"Huthi militias have wreaked havoc on the country, but they are a part of Yemeni society and they will have a role in its future."

The Huthi rebels have been fighting the internationally recognised government and its allies for more than four years in a war that has pushed the country to the brink of famine.&nbsp;

But Gargash said he was hopeful that a power-sharing deal between the government and the secessionist Southern Transitional Council, inked in Riyadh last week, could pave the way for a wider peace deal.

"The agreement solidifies the anti-Huthi coalition and provides a more robust basis for reaching a political solution," he said. "Now we need to build on the momentum this has given us."&nbsp;

The so-called Riyadh agreement would see Yemen's government return to Aden,&nbsp;the interim capital seized by separatists in August, and place the forces from both sides under the authority of the defence and interior ministries.

Gargash's comments came after a rally organised by the Huthi insurgents to mark the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed on Saturday drew hundreds of thousands in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, a much larger crowd than last year.

Rebel chief Abdulmalik al-Huthi addressed the crowd via a video message played on a large screen, while many chanted slogans in support of the insurgent leader.

The Iran-backed rebels took Sanaa in 2015, after which Saudi Arabia, the UAE and their allies intervened in the conflict in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

Since then, tens of thousands of people, most of them civilians, have been killed in a conflict that has triggered what the United Nations has described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Yemen's rebels will have a role in their country's future, a UAE minister said Sunday, voicing optimism that a recent peace deal between the government and southern separatists could lead to a wider solution.

Yemen's rebels will have a role in their country's future, a UAE minister said Sunday, voicing optimism that a recent peace deal between the government and southern separatists could lead to a wider solution. The comments were the latest conciliatory move in the long-running Yemen conflict after the Iran-backed Huthis offered in September to halt attacks on Saudi Arabia. Anwar Gargash, minister of state for foreign affairs in the United Arab Emirates, a key member in the Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen's government against the Huthis, urged all sides to maintain momentum for a political solution. "Such an agreement must take account of the legitimate aspirations of all parts of Yemeni society. That includes the Huthis," Gargash said at a political conference in Abu Dhabi. "Huthi militias have wreaked havoc on the country, but they are a part of Yemeni society and they will have a role in its future." The Huthi rebels have been fighting the internationally recognised government and its allies for more than four years in a war that has pushed the country to the brink of famine. But Gargash said he was hopeful that a power-sharing deal between the government and the secessionist Southern Transitional Council, inked in Riyadh last week, could pave the way for a wider peace deal. "The agreement solidifies the anti-Huthi coalition and provides a more robust basis for reaching a political solution," he said. "Now we need to build on the momentum this has given us." The so-called Riyadh agreement would see Yemen's government return to Aden, the interim capital seized by separatists in August, and place the forces from both sides under the authority of the defence and interior ministries. Gargash's comments came after a rally organised by the Huthi insurgents to mark the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed on Saturday drew hundreds of thousands in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, a much larger crowd than last year. Rebel chief Abdulmalik al-Huthi addressed the crowd via a video message played on a large screen, while many chanted slogans in support of the insurgent leader. The Iran-backed rebels took Sanaa in 2015, after which Saudi Arabia, the UAE and their allies intervened in the conflict in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. Since then, tens of thousands of people, most of them civilians, have been killed in a conflict that has triggered what the United Nations has described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Huthi rebels will have role in Yemen's future: UAE

Six people, including four civilians, were killed in an attack by Yemeni rebels on a military base in the Red Sea coastal town of Mokha, medical sources said on Thursday.&nbsp;

The strike also damaged a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and forced its operations to be suspended.

The attack comes after weeks of relative calm in Yemen, which together with the signing of a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/yemen-government-separatists-to-sign-power-sharing-deal-on-tuesday-259499">peace deal</a> between the government and southern separatists, had created a sliver of optimism over ending the years of conflict.

The Iran-backed rebels, who have been battling the internationally recognised government, launched four ballistic missiles and drones towards a military position in Mokha, a Yemeni military official told AFP.

Medics said six people, including four civilians, were killed and 26 wounded.&nbsp;

"The Patriot air defence system intercepted three missiles, while a fourth landed in the military base," said the military source, who declined to be identified.

The source said the attack destroyed a weapons storage facility used by pro-government forces.

The rebels have made no claim of responsibility.&nbsp;

MSF said there were no casualties among their staff or patients.

"The hospital in Mokha was damaged as a result of an attack on a nearby facility, and work there has been suspended for the time being," a representative told AFP.&nbsp;

Tens of thousands of people, most of them civilians, have been killed since Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in March 2015 in support of the beleaguered government.

The fighting has also displaced millions and left 24.1 million -- more than two-thirds of the population -- in&nbsp;need of aid.

The United Nations has described Yemen as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Six people, including four civilians, were killed in an attack by Yemeni rebels on a military base in the Red Sea coastal town of Mokha, medical sources said on Thursday.

Six people, including four civilians, were killed in an attack by Yemeni rebels on a military base in the Red Sea coastal town of Mokha, medical sources said on Thursday. The strike also damaged a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and forced its operations to be suspended. The attack comes after weeks of relative calm in Yemen, which together with the signing of a peace deal between the government and southern separatists, had created a sliver of optimism over ending the years of conflict. The Iran-backed rebels, who have been battling the internationally recognised government, launched four ballistic missiles and drones towards a military position in Mokha, a Yemeni military official told AFP. Medics said six people, including four civilians, were killed and 26 wounded. "The Patriot air defence system intercepted three missiles, while a fourth landed in the military base," said the military source, who declined to be identified. The source said the attack destroyed a weapons storage facility used by pro-government forces. The rebels have made no claim of responsibility. MSF said there were no casualties among their staff or patients. "The hospital in Mokha was damaged as a result of an attack on a nearby facility, and work there has been suspended for the time being," a representative told AFP. Tens of thousands of people, most of them civilians, have been killed since Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in March 2015 in support of the beleaguered government. The fighting has also displaced millions and left 24.1 million -- more than two-thirds of the population -- in need of aid. The United Nations has described Yemen as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Six killed in rebel attack in Yemen's Mokha: officials

Watch: Saudi Ambassador to Yemen speaks on Saudi Arabia's role in Yemen.

WION Exclusive: Siddhant Sibbal speaks to Saudi Ambassador to Yemen

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/yemen-houthi-rebels-free-290-prisoners-icrc-252857">Yemen's</a> internationally recognised government will sign an agreement with southern separatists on Tuesday aimed at ending a conflict simmering within the country's long-running civil war, Yemeni and Saudi officials said.

The power-sharing deal would see the secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC) handed a number of ministries, and the government return to the main southern city of Aden, according to officials and Saudi media reports on&nbsp;Saturday.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/yemens-houthis-say-aramco-plants-still-a-target-report-249938">Yemeni</a> Information Minister Muammar al-Iryani tweeted that an official signing ceremony for the "Riyadh Agreement" would take place in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday in the presence of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan will represent the United Arab Emirates, the main partner in the Saudi-led coalition backing Hadi's government, Saudi ambassador to Yemen Mohammed al-Jaber tweeted.&nbsp;

The UAE-backed Security Belt Forces, dominated by the STC, in August took control of Aden, which had served as the beleaguered government's base since it was ousted from the capital Sanaa by Iran-backed Huthi rebels in 2014.

The clashes between the separatists and unionist supporters of the government, who for years fought on the same side against the Huthis, had raised fears the country could break apart entirely.

The separatists,&nbsp;who seek renewed independence for the south, which was a separate country until 1990,&nbsp;have received arms and training from the UAE.

Abu Dhabi accuses Hadi's government of allowing Islamist elements to gain influence within its ranks.

In recent weeks the government and the separatists have been holding discreet indirect talks mediated by Saudi Arabia in the kingdom's western city of Jeddah.

Sources on both sides have said that the parties struck a power-sharing deal.

Saudi Arabia's Al-Ekhbariya state television has reported a government of 24 ministers would be formed, "divided equally&nbsp;between the southern and northern provinces of Yemen".

Under the deal, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/two-million-children-out-of-school-in-war-torn-yemen-un-251951">Yemeni</a> prime minister would return to Aden to "reactivate state institutions", it added.&nbsp;

Al-Ekhbariya said the Saudi-led coalition would oversee a "joint committee" to implement the agreement.

The coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates intervened in Yemen in 2015 as the Huthi rebels closed in on Aden, prompting Hadi to flee into Saudi exile.

The conflict has since killed tens of thousands of people,&nbsp;most of them civilians,&nbsp;and driven millions more to the brink of famine in what the United Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Yemen's internationally recognised government will sign an agreement with southern separatists on Tuesday aimed at ending a conflict simmering within the country's long-running civil war, Yemeni and Saudi officials said.

Yemen's internationally recognised government will sign an agreement with southern separatists on Tuesday aimed at ending a conflict simmering within the country's long-running civil war, Yemeni and Saudi officials said. The power-sharing deal would see the secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC) handed a number of ministries, and the government return to the main southern city of Aden, according to officials and Saudi media reports on Saturday. Yemeni Information Minister Muammar al-Iryani tweeted that an official signing ceremony for the "Riyadh Agreement" would take place in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday in the presence of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan will represent the United Arab Emirates, the main partner in the Saudi-led coalition backing Hadi's government, Saudi ambassador to Yemen Mohammed al-Jaber tweeted. The UAE-backed Security Belt Forces, dominated by the STC, in August took control of Aden, which had served as the beleaguered government's base since it was ousted from the capital Sanaa by Iran-backed Huthi rebels in 2014. The clashes between the separatists and unionist supporters of the government, who for years fought on the same side against the Huthis, had raised fears the country could break apart entirely. The separatists, who seek renewed independence for the south, which was a separate country until 1990, have received arms and training from the UAE. Abu Dhabi accuses Hadi's government of allowing Islamist elements to gain influence within its ranks. In recent weeks the government and the separatists have been holding discreet indirect talks mediated by Saudi Arabia in the kingdom's western city of Jeddah. Sources on both sides have said that the parties struck a power-sharing deal. Saudi Arabia's Al-Ekhbariya state television has reported a government of 24 ministers would be formed, "divided equally between the southern and northern provinces of Yemen". Under the deal, the Yemeni prime minister would return to Aden to "reactivate state institutions", it added. Al-Ekhbariya said the Saudi-led coalition would oversee a "joint committee" to implement the agreement. The coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates intervened in Yemen in 2015 as the Huthi rebels closed in on Aden, prompting Hadi to flee into Saudi exile. The conflict has since killed tens of thousands of people, most of them civilians, and driven millions more to the brink of famine in what the United Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Yemen government, separatists to sign power-sharing deal on Tuesday

Ahead of World Food Day, the World Food Programme (WFP) said more than 800 million people, one in nine people globally, are facing chronic hunger and are unable to meet their basic food requirements. WFP. World Food Day is marked on Wednesday (16 Oct). WFP said, for the most part, the causes of hunger remain the same – conflict, the climate crisis and economic marginalization.

More than 800 million people facing chronic hunger: World Food Programme

There’s a deja vu feeling to this year’s wave of protests across the Arab world.

It’s not that this year saw the toppling of the leaders of Algeria and Sudan as a result of popular revolts, a harking back to the 2011 protests that overthrew the leaders of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen.

It’s that it’s the protesters in Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Morocco rather than illiberal or autocratic regimes that have learnt the lessons of 2011.

Had illiberal and autocratic leaders learnt the lessons, they would not have been taken again by surprise by mass protests, often sparked by a black swan.

Lessons learnt would have meant putting their ear to the ground, hearing the groundswell of anger and frustration boiling at the surface over lack of economic opportunity and basic services, widespread corruption that benefits the few and complicates life for the many, and a clamouring for the ability to vent those grievances.

Lessons learnt would have meant addressing those concerns before its too late and spill into the streets in massive votes of no-confidence against&nbsp;the political and economic system and its leaders.

It’s a lesson that is valid beyond the Arab world with similar protests, like in 2011, erupting across the globe in countries such as Hong Kong, Russia, Peru, Haiti, Ecuador, Indonesia, and world-wide climate change-related demonstrations.

For their part, demonstrators in Algeria and Sudan concluded from the 2011 protests that toppling a leader was the beginning not the end of the process.

In Algeria, protesters remain in the streets six months after President Abdelaziz Bouteflika stepped down, battling the army for a political process that will guarantee structural change rather than enable an electoral process that ensures that the military and its aligned business interests remain the power behind the throne.

Sudanese demonstrators surrendered the street only after an agreement had been reached with the military on a three-year-long transition towards the civilian rule.

The Sudanese and Algerian experiences, like the lessons to be learnt from the 2011 revolts, suggest that the playing field in the wake of the fall of an autocrat is striking a balance between protesters’ demands for fundamental change and the determination of elites and the military to preserve their economic interests, some degree of control of security and safeguards against being held accountable for past abuse.

What demonstrators have going for them, beyond the power of the street, is the fact that popular discontent is not the only thing that mitigates against the maintenance of the pre-protest status quo.

Countries across the Middle East and North Africa, characterised by youth bulges, can no longer evade economic reform that addresses widespread youth unemployment, the need to create large numbers of jobs, and inevitable diversification and streamlining of bloated government bureaucracies.

Algeria is a case in point. Foreign exchange reserves have dropped from $193.6 billion in 2014 to $72 billion in 2019. Reserves cover 13 months of imports at best in a country that imports 70 per cent of what it consumes,

“If the state can no longer deliver goods and services, socio-economic discontent will rise further…. In order to avoid such a situation… the state and its citizens will have to renegotiate their relationship. In the past the state provided, and Algerians abided. This is no longer economically feasible today, nor is it what Algerians appear to want as they seek more transparency, less corruption, and better governance of Algeria’s resources,” said Algeria scholar Dalia Ghanem.

Attention in the past years since the 2011 popular Arab revolts have focussed on the consequences of the Saudi-UAE led counterrevolution that brutally rolled back protesters achievements in Egypt and contributed to the Iranian-backed military campaign of Houthi rebels in Yemen and the devastating subsequent military intervention in that country as well as civil wars in Syria and Libya.

Yet, the past eight years have also been characterised by issues-oriented protests that often involved new, creative forms of expression of discontent.

Iraq, Algeria and Sudan rather than Egypt contain lessons for the future.

Egypt’s field marshal-turned-president Abdel Fatah al-Sisi may have squashed recent protests with mass arrests and security force violence, but his conspiratorial depictions of a plot engineered by the repressed and weakened Muslim Brotherhood are unlikely to dampen widespread discontent with his failed economic policies that have benefited the elite and impoverished many.

Al-Sisi may have ended the protests for now, but continued refusal to address grievances makes Egypt an accident waiting to happen.

The demography of protesters in Iraq proves the point. The protests could have been avoided had the Iraqi government focused on tackling corruption, ensuring the delivery of basic services, and creating jobs for university graduates and opportunities for those who returned from defeating the Islamic State to find that they were deprived of opportunities.

One lesson of the protests in Iraq and Hong Kong is the fact that repressive government responses, the killing of more than 100 demonstrators in Iraq or the banning of face masks in Hong Kong, fuel rather than calm public anger.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp;

There’s a deja vu feeling to this year’s wave of protests across the Arab world. It’s not that this year saw the toppling of the leaders of Algeria and Sudan as a result of popular revolts, a harking back to the 2011 protests that overthrew the leaders of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen.

There’s a deja vu feeling to this year’s wave of protests across the Arab world. It’s not that this year saw the toppling of the leaders of Algeria and Sudan as a result of popular revolts, a harking back to the 2011 protests that overthrew the leaders of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen. It’s that it’s the protesters in Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Morocco rather than illiberal or autocratic regimes that have learnt the lessons of 2011. Had illiberal and autocratic leaders learnt the lessons, they would not have been taken again by surprise by mass protests, often sparked by a black swan. Lessons learnt would have meant putting their ear to the ground, hearing the groundswell of anger and frustration boiling at the surface over lack of economic opportunity and basic services, widespread corruption that benefits the few and complicates life for the many, and a clamouring for the ability to vent those grievances. Lessons learnt would have meant addressing those concerns before its too late and spill into the streets in massive votes of no-confidence against the political and economic system and its leaders. It’s a lesson that is valid beyond the Arab world with similar protests, like in 2011, erupting across the globe in countries such as Hong Kong, Russia, Peru, Haiti, Ecuador, Indonesia, and world-wide climate change-related demonstrations. For their part, demonstrators in Algeria and Sudan concluded from the 2011 protests that toppling a leader was the beginning not the end of the process. In Algeria, protesters remain in the streets six months after President Abdelaziz Bouteflika stepped down, battling the army for a political process that will guarantee structural change rather than enable an electoral process that ensures that the military and its aligned business interests remain the power behind the throne. Sudanese demonstrators surrendered the street only after an agreement had been reached with the military on a three-year-long transition towards the civilian rule. The Sudanese and Algerian experiences, like the lessons to be learnt from the 2011 revolts, suggest that the playing field in the wake of the fall of an autocrat is striking a balance between protesters’ demands for fundamental change and the determination of elites and the military to preserve their economic interests, some degree of control of security and safeguards against being held accountable for past abuse. What demonstrators have going for them, beyond the power of the street, is the fact that popular discontent is not the only thing that mitigates against the maintenance of the pre-protest status quo. Countries across the Middle East and North Africa, characterised by youth bulges, can no longer evade economic reform that addresses widespread youth unemployment, the need to create large numbers of jobs, and inevitable diversification and streamlining of bloated government bureaucracies. Algeria is a case in point. Foreign exchange reserves have dropped from $193.6 billion in 2014 to $72 billion in 2019. Reserves cover 13 months of imports at best in a country that imports 70 per cent of what it consumes, “If the state can no longer deliver goods and services, socio-economic discontent will rise further…. In order to avoid such a situation… the state and its citizens will have to renegotiate their relationship. In the past the state provided, and Algerians abided. This is no longer economically feasible today, nor is it what Algerians appear to want as they seek more transparency, less corruption, and better governance of Algeria’s resources,” said Algeria scholar Dalia Ghanem. Attention in the past years since the 2011 popular Arab revolts have focussed on the consequences of the Saudi-UAE led counterrevolution that brutally rolled back protesters achievements in Egypt and contributed to the Iranian-backed military campaign of Houthi rebels in Yemen and the devastating subsequent military intervention in that country as well as civil wars in Syria and Libya. Yet, the past eight years have also been characterised by issues-oriented protests that often involved new, creative forms of expression of discontent. Iraq, Algeria and Sudan rather than Egypt contain lessons for the future. Egypt’s field marshal-turned-president Abdel Fatah al-Sisi may have squashed recent protests with mass arrests and security force violence, but his conspiratorial depictions of a plot engineered by the repressed and weakened Muslim Brotherhood are unlikely to dampen widespread discontent with his failed economic policies that have benefited the elite and impoverished many. Al-Sisi may have ended the protests for now, but continued refusal to address grievances makes Egypt an accident waiting to happen. The demography of protesters in Iraq proves the point. The protests could have been avoided had the Iraqi government focused on tackling corruption, ensuring the delivery of basic services, and creating jobs for university graduates and opportunities for those who returned from defeating the Islamic State to find that they were deprived of opportunities. One lesson of the protests in Iraq and Hong Kong is the fact that repressive government responses, the killing of more than 100 demonstrators in Iraq or the banning of face masks in Hong Kong, fuel rather than calm public anger. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Learning lessons: Protesters stay one step ahead of rulers

As The Conflict In West Asia Intensifies, Here's A Look At What This Means For Saudi Arabia On #WionEdit, @Palkisu analyses the rising conflict in West Asia. Over the last few weeks, Saudi Arabia has faced two major setbacks, one is the attack on the oil fields and the other is the recent claims made by Houthis. It's clear that Saudi Arabia is stuck between a rock and a hard place.

WION Edit: Is Saudi Arabia on the backfoot?

Who Is Raheel Sharif? Why Is He Leading An Anti-terror Coalition In Saudi Arabia? Yemen's Houthi rebels claim to have killed or wounded hundreds of soldiers of Saudi Arabia. They also say that thousands of soldiers surrendered, including three brigades of troops led by Raheel Sharif, former Pakistan army Chief. The report brings the story of Raheel Sharif

Gravitas: The story of Raheel Sharif

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pakistani-mercenaries-among-troops-captured-during-saudi-attack-yemens-houthi-rebels-252738">Yemen's Houthi rebels</a> have freed 290 prisoners, including dozens of survivors from a Saudi-led coalition strike on a detention centre earlier this month, the ICRC said Monday.

The International Committee of the Red Cross hailed the move as "a positive step that will hopefully revive the release, transfer and repatriation of conflict-related detainees" under a deal struck last year between the rebels and Yemen's government.

The Houthis recently announced the capture of hundreds of Yemeni loyalist forces in an August offensive near the Saudi border, but they were not among those freed on Monday.

The United Nations' special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, welcomed the initiative to "unilaterally release detainees".

"I hope this step will lead to further initiatives that will facilitate the exchange of all the conflict-related detainees as per the Stockholm Agreement" Griffiths said, referring to the 2018 accord.

He called on all parties to work together to speed prisoner releases, saying they and their families had "endured profound pain and suffering."&nbsp;

In a statement, he urged the parties to meet at the "nearest opportunity" to resume the discussions on future exchanges.

The Houthi's own announcement on the prisoner release said there were 350 in the group, including three Saudis.

"We have presented to the United Nations a unilateral initiative to release 350 prisoners," Abdel Kader Mortaza, the Houthi official in charge of prisoner affairs, said at a press conference in Sanaa.

Years of conflict in Yemen have killed tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians.

Since the Saudi-led coalition intervened to back up the government in 2015, the fighting has plunged the country -- the poorest in the Arab world -- into what the UN calls the globe's worst humanitarian crisis.

In early September, a Saudi-led coalition backing the government struck a former college in the western city of Dhamar, used by the Houthis as a detention centre.

The Red Cross said over 100 people were killed.

 
&nbsp;

Yemen's Houthi rebels have freed 290 prisoners, including dozens of survivors from a Saudi-led coalition strike on a detention centre earlier this month, the ICRC said Monday.

Yemen's Houthi rebels have freed 290 prisoners, including dozens of survivors from a Saudi-led coalition strike on a detention centre earlier this month, the ICRC said Monday. The International Committee of the Red Cross hailed the move as "a positive step that will hopefully revive the release, transfer and repatriation of conflict-related detainees" under a deal struck last year between the rebels and Yemen's government. The Houthis recently announced the capture of hundreds of Yemeni loyalist forces in an August offensive near the Saudi border, but they were not among those freed on Monday. The United Nations' special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, welcomed the initiative to "unilaterally release detainees". "I hope this step will lead to further initiatives that will facilitate the exchange of all the conflict-related detainees as per the Stockholm Agreement" Griffiths said, referring to the 2018 accord. He called on all parties to work together to speed prisoner releases, saying they and their families had "endured profound pain and suffering." In a statement, he urged the parties to meet at the "nearest opportunity" to resume the discussions on future exchanges. The Houthi's own announcement on the prisoner release said there were 350 in the group, including three Saudis. "We have presented to the United Nations a unilateral initiative to release 350 prisoners," Abdel Kader Mortaza, the Houthi official in charge of prisoner affairs, said at a press conference in Sanaa. Years of conflict in Yemen have killed tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians. Since the Saudi-led coalition intervened to back up the government in 2015, the fighting has plunged the country -- the poorest in the Arab world -- into what the UN calls the globe's worst humanitarian crisis. In early September, a Saudi-led coalition backing the government struck a former college in the western city of Dhamar, used by the Houthis as a detention centre. The Red Cross said over 100 people were killed.

Yemen Houthi rebels free 290 prisoners: ICRC

Houthi rebels in Yemen say they have killed 500 Saudi soldiers, captured a further 2,000 and seized a convoy of Saudi military vehicles.

Biggest attack on Saudi-led coalition?

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group said on Saturday (September 28) it had carried out an attack near the border with the southern Saudi region of Najran and captured several army officers but there was no immediate confirmation from Saudi Arabian authorities.

Yemen: Houthis claim capture of Saudi troops

Air strikes maim, scar Yemen's children

Two million <a href="https://www.wionews.com/west-asia/in-yemen-a-child-dies-every-10-minutes-from-easily-preventable-diseases-175690">children</a> are out of school in war-torn Yemen, a fourth of whom have dropped out since the conflict escalated in March 2015, the UN children's agency said Wednesday.

The education of a further 3.7 million children is at risk as teachers' salaries have not been paid in more than two years, UNICEF said in a statement.

"Violence, displacement and attacks on schools are preventing many children from accessing school," said Sara Beysolow Nyanti, a UNICEF representative in Yemen.&nbsp;

One in five schools in the country can no longer be used as a direct result of the conflict that has devastated Yemen's already fragile education system, the UN agency says.&nbsp;

"Children out of school face increased risks of all forms of exploitation including being <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/more-than-800-child-soldiers-recruited-in-yemen-un-150600">forced to join the fighting</a>, child labour and early marriage," Nyanti said.&nbsp;

"They lose the opportunity to develop and grow in a caring and stimulating environment, ultimately becoming trapped in a life of poverty and hardship," Nyanti added.

Tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have been killed since Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in March 2015 in support of the beleaguered government after the Iran-aligned Huthi rebels captured the capital Sanaa.

The fighting has displaced millions and left 24.1 million -&nbsp;more than two-thirds of the population - in&nbsp;need of aid.

According to UNICEF, 1.8 million children under the age of five are suffering from <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/around-20-million-yemenis-food-insecure-due-to-ongoing-conflict-un-182515">severe malnutrition</a>.&nbsp;

The United Nations has described Yemen as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Two million children are out of school in war-torn Yemen, a fourth of whom have dropped out since the conflict escalated in March 2015, the UN children's agency said Wednesday.

Two million children are out of school in war-torn Yemen, a fourth of whom have dropped out since the conflict escalated in March 2015, the UN children's agency said Wednesday. The education of a further 3.7 million children is at risk as teachers' salaries have not been paid in more than two years, UNICEF said in a statement. "Violence, displacement and attacks on schools are preventing many children from accessing school," said Sara Beysolow Nyanti, a UNICEF representative in Yemen. One in five schools in the country can no longer be used as a direct result of the conflict that has devastated Yemen's already fragile education system, the UN agency says. "Children out of school face increased risks of all forms of exploitation including being forced to join the fighting, child labour and early marriage," Nyanti said. "They lose the opportunity to develop and grow in a caring and stimulating environment, ultimately becoming trapped in a life of poverty and hardship," Nyanti added. Tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have been killed since Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in March 2015 in support of the beleaguered government after the Iran-aligned Huthi rebels captured the capital Sanaa. The fighting has displaced millions and left 24.1 million - more than two-thirds of the population - in need of aid. According to UNICEF, 1.8 million children under the age of five are suffering from severe malnutrition. The United Nations has described Yemen as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Two million children out of school in war-torn Yemen: UN

Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday that strikes on its oil infrastructure came from the "north" and were <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/initial-investigations-show-iranian-weapons-were-used-in-attacks-foreign-ministry-250405">sponsored by Iran</a>, but added the kingdom was still investigating the exact launch site.

"The attack was launched from the north and unquestionably sponsored by Iran," defence ministry spokesman Turki al-Maliki said. "We are working to know the exact launch point."

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement had&nbsp;claimed responsibility for the strikes, but the spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition battling the group had said preliminary findings indicated the attack was not launched from Yemen.

Watch Video:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/history-of-saudi-arabia-iran-conflict-250152/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

However, Maliki&nbsp;would not be drawn on whether Saudi Arabia believed Iran would ultimately be found to be the culprit, only saying they were confident they would find where the weapons were fired from.

Maliki displayed pieces of what he said were cruise missiles and drones used in the strike, recovered from the site of Saturday's attack in the country's east.&nbsp;

He said a combination of 18 drones and seven cruise missiles fired at the two key oil installations from a direction that ruled out its southern neighbour Yemen as a source.

The Saudi Arabian spokesman reiterated Riyadh's position that the Iran-backed Huthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition is mired in a five-year conflict, were not responsible for the assault despite claiming it.

"Despite Iran's efforts to make it appear so" they did not originate from Yemen, he said, adding the strike was beyond the capabilities of the militia -- who have however mounted dozens of smaller attacks on Saudi territory.

In addition, "the targeting direction indicates it came from the north," he added.

Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday that strikes on its oil infrastructure came from the "north" and were sponsored by Iran, but added the kingdom was still investigating the exact launch site.

Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday that strikes on its oil infrastructure came from the "north" and were sponsored by Iran, but added the kingdom was still investigating the exact launch site. "The attack was launched from the north and unquestionably sponsored by Iran," defence ministry spokesman Turki al-Maliki said. "We are working to know the exact launch point." Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement had claimed responsibility for the strikes, but the spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition battling the group had said preliminary findings indicated the attack was not launched from Yemen. Watch Video: However, Maliki would not be drawn on whether Saudi Arabia believed Iran would ultimately be found to be the culprit, only saying they were confident they would find where the weapons were fired from. Maliki displayed pieces of what he said were cruise missiles and drones used in the strike, recovered from the site of Saturday's attack in the country's east. He said a combination of 18 drones and seven cruise missiles fired at the two key oil installations from a direction that ruled out its southern neighbour Yemen as a source. The Saudi Arabian spokesman reiterated Riyadh's position that the Iran-backed Huthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition is mired in a five-year conflict, were not responsible for the assault despite claiming it. "Despite Iran's efforts to make it appear so" they did not originate from Yemen, he said, adding the strike was beyond the capabilities of the militia -- who have however mounted dozens of smaller attacks on Saudi territory. In addition, "the targeting direction indicates it came from the north," he added.

Attacks on Aramco oil facility unquestionably sponsored by Iran: Saudi Arabia

The weapons used to strike <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dont-need-middle-east-oil-gas-but-will-help-our-allies-says-trump-after-attacks-on-saudi-arabias-aramco-250005">Saudi oil facilities</a> were Iranian-made, the Riyadh-led coalition said Monday, heightening fears of regional conflict after the US hinted at a military response to the assault.

The weekend strikes on Abqaiq -&nbsp;the world's largest oil processing facility -&nbsp;and the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-shuts-pipeline-to-bahrain-after-aramco-attacks-sources-250013">Khurais oil field</a> in eastern Saudi Arabia have roiled global energy markets with prices spiking Monday to record highs.

Yemen's Iran-aligned Huthi rebels claimed responsibility for the strikes but Washington has squarely blamed Iran, with President Donald Trump saying the US is "locked and loaded" to respond.

Saudi's energy infrastructure has been hit before, but this strike was of a different order, abruptly halting 5.7 million barrels per day (bpd) or about six per cent of the world's oil supply.

The Saudi-led coalition, which is bogged down in a five-year war in neighbouring Yemen, reiterated the assessment that the Huthis were not behind it, pointing the finger at Iran for providing the weapons.

Russia urged "all countries to avoid hasty steps or conclusions that could exacerbate the situation" while the European Union stressed all sides should show "maximum restraint".

China also called on the US and Iran to "exercise restraint... in the absence of a conclusive investigation or verdict."

"All indications are that weapons used in both attacks came from Iran," coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki told reporters in Riyadh, adding they were now probing "from where they were fired".

"This strike didn't come from Yemen territory as the Huthi militia are pretending," Maliki said, adding an investigation had been opened.

He labelled the Huthis "a tool in the hands of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and the terrorist regime of Iran".

The rebels said they fired 10 drones at the Saudi infrastructure, but the New York Times reported that US officials had satellite images showing the attacks -- possibly with drones and cruise missiles -- had come from the north or northwest.&nbsp;

It&nbsp;indicated they were sourced in the northern Persian Gulf, Iran or Iraq, rather than Yemen.

The assault on the heart of Saudi Arabia's oil industry, which engulfed the facilities in flames, has been condemned by Washington as an "unprecedented attack on the world's energy supply".

Oil prices saw their biggest daily gain since the 1991 Gulf War on Monday after the attacks halved output in the world's top crude exporter, fuelling fresh geopolitical and growth fears.

Europe's benchmark Brent crude surged by 20 percent and US counterpart WTI by 15 percent as commodities trading got underway.

Both contracts later came off their peaks, but were still up more than 10 percent on the day by the mid-afternoon in Europe.

US Energy Secretary Rick Perry insisted world oil markets still had sizeable reserves saying the market has "a fairly substantial amount of oil out there available".&nbsp;

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman on Sunday said the kingdom would use its vast inventories to partially compensate for the lost production, and the US also authorised the release of its reserves.

"Growing tensions in the Middle East are another headwind for the global economy in already uncertain times, and a full-blown conflict could trigger another leg in the global downturn," said Jennifer McKeown, head of Global Economics at Capital Economics.

With the Huthis threatening further attacks, analyst Oanda senior market analyst Craig Erlam noted Saturday's events had "highlighted the vulnerability of security at these facilities to drone attacks".

The kingdom also has a spare capacity of around two million bpd that it can draw on at times of crisis.

But a prolonged production delay could potentially see prices climb to "triple digits", warned Saudi economic consultant Sulaiman al-Assaf.&nbsp;

The attack is a major test for Saudi Arabia as it could dampen investor confidence in Aramco's upcoming two-stage initial public offering (IPO), a mammoth listing that the government hopes will generate up to $100 billion.

Saudi authorities are considering whether to delay an IPO for the oil giant, people with knowledge of the matter said.

"They're in the process of assessing the damage. It's a possibility but it's still very early," said one of the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The IPO, earlier scheduled for 2018, has already been mired in delays as it reportedly struggled to reach a $2 trillion valuation desired by Saudi rulers.

Saudi authorities have sought to calm jittery markets, with the Energy Intelligence specialist newsletter citing industry sources as saying Aramco was "close to restoring as much as 40 percent" of the lost production, or about 2.3 million barrels per day (bdp).

The Wall Street Journal cited people familiar with the damage estimates as saying the targeted facilities would take weeks to return to full production capacity.

The real extent of the damage at the facilities however remains unclear.

All eyes are on official word from the Saudis on the situation, which could offer reassurance to world markets. 
&nbsp;

The weapons used to strike Saudi oil facilities were Iranian-made, the Riyadh-led coalition said Monday, heightening fears of regional conflict after the US hinted at a military response to the assault.

The weapons used to strike Saudi oil facilities were Iranian-made, the Riyadh-led coalition said Monday, heightening fears of regional conflict after the US hinted at a military response to the assault. The weekend strikes on Abqaiq - the world's largest oil processing facility - and the Khurais oil field in eastern Saudi Arabia have roiled global energy markets with prices spiking Monday to record highs. Yemen's Iran-aligned Huthi rebels claimed responsibility for the strikes but Washington has squarely blamed Iran, with President Donald Trump saying the US is "locked and loaded" to respond. Saudi's energy infrastructure has been hit before, but this strike was of a different order, abruptly halting 5.7 million barrels per day (bpd) or about six per cent of the world's oil supply. The Saudi-led coalition, which is bogged down in a five-year war in neighbouring Yemen, reiterated the assessment that the Huthis were not behind it, pointing the finger at Iran for providing the weapons. Russia urged "all countries to avoid hasty steps or conclusions that could exacerbate the situation" while the European Union stressed all sides should show "maximum restraint". China also called on the US and Iran to "exercise restraint... in the absence of a conclusive investigation or verdict." "All indications are that weapons used in both attacks came from Iran," coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki told reporters in Riyadh, adding they were now probing "from where they were fired". "This strike didn't come from Yemen territory as the Huthi militia are pretending," Maliki said, adding an investigation had been opened. He labelled the Huthis "a tool in the hands of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and the terrorist regime of Iran". The rebels said they fired 10 drones at the Saudi infrastructure, but the New York Times reported that US officials had satellite images showing the attacks -- possibly with drones and cruise missiles -- had come from the north or northwest. It indicated they were sourced in the northern Persian Gulf, Iran or Iraq, rather than Yemen. The assault on the heart of Saudi Arabia's oil industry, which engulfed the facilities in flames, has been condemned by Washington as an "unprecedented attack on the world's energy supply". Oil prices saw their biggest daily gain since the 1991 Gulf War on Monday after the attacks halved output in the world's top crude exporter, fuelling fresh geopolitical and growth fears. Europe's benchmark Brent crude surged by 20 percent and US counterpart WTI by 15 percent as commodities trading got underway. Both contracts later came off their peaks, but were still up more than 10 percent on the day by the mid-afternoon in Europe. US Energy Secretary Rick Perry insisted world oil markets still had sizeable reserves saying the market has "a fairly substantial amount of oil out there available". Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman on Sunday said the kingdom would use its vast inventories to partially compensate for the lost production, and the US also authorised the release of its reserves. "Growing tensions in the Middle East are another headwind for the global economy in already uncertain times, and a full-blown conflict could trigger another leg in the global downturn," said Jennifer McKeown, head of Global Economics at Capital Economics. With the Huthis threatening further attacks, analyst Oanda senior market analyst Craig Erlam noted Saturday's events had "highlighted the vulnerability of security at these facilities to drone attacks". The kingdom also has a spare capacity of around two million bpd that it can draw on at times of crisis. But a prolonged production delay could potentially see prices climb to "triple digits", warned Saudi economic consultant Sulaiman al-Assaf. The attack is a major test for Saudi Arabia as it could dampen investor confidence in Aramco's upcoming two-stage initial public offering (IPO), a mammoth listing that the government hopes will generate up to $100 billion. Saudi authorities are considering whether to delay an IPO for the oil giant, people with knowledge of the matter said. "They're in the process of assessing the damage. It's a possibility but it's still very early," said one of the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity. The IPO, earlier scheduled for 2018, has already been mired in delays as it reportedly struggled to reach a $2 trillion valuation desired by Saudi rulers. Saudi authorities have sought to calm jittery markets, with the Energy Intelligence specialist newsletter citing industry sources as saying Aramco was "close to restoring as much as 40 percent" of the lost production, or about 2.3 million barrels per day (bdp). The Wall Street Journal cited people familiar with the damage estimates as saying the targeted facilities would take weeks to return to full production capacity. The real extent of the damage at the facilities however remains unclear. All eyes are on official word from the Saudis on the situation, which could offer reassurance to world markets.

Weapons used in Saudi oil attacks came from Iran: Saudi coalition

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif said on Sunday that the United States and its allies were "stuck in Yemen" and that blaming Tehran "won't end the disaster".

 
"Having failed at "max pressure", @SecPompeo's turning to "max deceit". The US &amp; its clients are stuck in Yemen because of the illusion that weapon superiority will lead to military victory. Blaming Iran won't end disaster," Zarif said on Twitter.

Javad Zarif Tweet:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Having failed at "max pressure", <a href="https://twitter.com/SecPompeo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecPompeo</a>'s turning to "max deceit" 
 
US &amp; its clients are stuck in Yemen because of illusion that weapon superiority will lead to military victory. 
 
Blaming Iran won't end disaster. Accepting our April '15 proposal to end war &amp; begin talks may.
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) <a href="https://twitter.com/JZarif/status/1173162202926333952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

The US&nbsp;Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday blamed Iran for the drone attacks which hit two of Saudi Arabia's Aramco oil installations and were claimed by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group, saying that "Iran has now launched an unprecedented attack on the world's energy supply."

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif said on Sunday that the United States and its allies were "stuck in Yemen" and that blaming Tehran "won't end the disaster".

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif said on Sunday that the United States and its allies were "stuck in Yemen" and that blaming Tehran "won't end the disaster". "Having failed at "max pressure", @SecPompeo's turning to "max deceit". The US & its clients are stuck in Yemen because of the illusion that weapon superiority will lead to military victory. Blaming Iran won't end disaster," Zarif said on Twitter. Javad Zarif Tweet: Having failed at "max pressure", @SecPompeo's turning to "max deceit" US & its clients are stuck in Yemen because of illusion that weapon superiority will lead to military victory. Blaming Iran won't end disaster. Accepting our April '15 proposal to end war & begin talks may. — Javad Zarif (@JZarif) September 15, 2019 × The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday blamed Iran for the drone attacks which hit two of Saudi Arabia's Aramco oil installations and were claimed by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group, saying that "Iran has now launched an unprecedented attack on the world's energy supply."

Iran Foreign Minister Zarif says the US, allies are 'stuck in Yemen'

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates called on Yemen’s separatists and the internationally-recognised government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to halt all military actions in south Yemen.&nbsp;

A joint statement by the two Gulf states, leaders of an Arab coalition that is battling Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis, called on the UAE-backed separatists and the Saudi-backed government to prepare for “constructive dialogue” to end the crisis between the two nominal allies.

Talks to end the power struggle, in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, reached a dead-end and both sides were gathering troops to prepare for further battle, officials said on Friday, an indication that a rift between Saudi Arabia and ally UAE had deepened.

The war for the south has opened a new battlefront that risks further fragmenting Yemen and threatens to complicate U.N. efforts to end the multi-tiered war, which contains conflicts within conflicts.

“They (the two countries) also called for an immediate end to all military operations as well as violations against any public and private property,” the joint statement carried by state news agencies SPA and WAM, said.

“They have been preparing for a constructive dialogue to end the dispute and address its effects,” it added.

The breakaway movement is part of the Saudi-led coalition that intervened in Yemen in March 2015 to restore Hadi’s government which was ousted from power by the Houthis in the capital Sanaa in late 2014.

But they have clashed often with the government and seized Aden, its interim base, last month.

The UAE, which has been hostile to Hadi’s government because it includes Islamists, intervened last week to support the separatists by launching airstrikes on government forces as they tried to recapture Aden, forcing them to withdraw.

Saudi Arabia called on the separatists, who seek to revive the former South Yemen republic, to cede control of Aden and voiced its support for President Hadi on Thursday, threatening “to react decisively”.

However, Sunday’s statement said the two Gulf states reiterated their support of Yemen’s “legitimate government”.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates called on Yemen’s separatists and the internationally-recognised government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to halt all military actions in south Yemen.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates called on Yemen’s separatists and the internationally-recognised government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to halt all military actions in south Yemen. A joint statement by the two Gulf states, leaders of an Arab coalition that is battling Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis, called on the UAE-backed separatists and the Saudi-backed government to prepare for “constructive dialogue” to end the crisis between the two nominal allies. Talks to end the power struggle, in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, reached a dead-end and both sides were gathering troops to prepare for further battle, officials said on Friday, an indication that a rift between Saudi Arabia and ally UAE had deepened. The war for the south has opened a new battlefront that risks further fragmenting Yemen and threatens to complicate U.N. efforts to end the multi-tiered war, which contains conflicts within conflicts. “They (the two countries) also called for an immediate end to all military operations as well as violations against any public and private property,” the joint statement carried by state news agencies SPA and WAM, said. “They have been preparing for a constructive dialogue to end the dispute and address its effects,” it added. The breakaway movement is part of the Saudi-led coalition that intervened in Yemen in March 2015 to restore Hadi’s government which was ousted from power by the Houthis in the capital Sanaa in late 2014. But they have clashed often with the government and seized Aden, its interim base, last month. The UAE, which has been hostile to Hadi’s government because it includes Islamists, intervened last week to support the separatists by launching airstrikes on government forces as they tried to recapture Aden, forcing them to withdraw. Saudi Arabia called on the separatists, who seek to revive the former South Yemen republic, to cede control of Aden and voiced its support for President Hadi on Thursday, threatening “to react decisively”. However, Sunday’s statement said the two Gulf states reiterated their support of Yemen’s “legitimate government”.

Saudi Arabia, UAE urge Yemen government and separatists to halt fighting

Saudi&nbsp;Arabia&nbsp;has deployed more&nbsp;troops in&nbsp;southern&nbsp;Yemen&nbsp;to try to contain clashes between nominal allies in the Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Houthis that risks further fragmenting the country.&nbsp;

The fight for the&nbsp;south of the country has opened a new conflict, focused around the port of Aden, in a multifaceted war that has killed tens of thousands and pushed the long-impoverished&nbsp;Arabian Peninsula nation to the brink of famine.

Saudi&nbsp;soldiers and armed vehicles arrived over the weekend in the capital of the oil-producing Shabwa province where the United Arab Emirates-backed separatists have been battling forces of&nbsp;Yemen's&nbsp;Saudi-backed government for control, two local officials said.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-france-britain-may-be-complicit-in-yemen-war-crimes-un-report-247434">US, France, Britain may be complicit in Yemen war crimes,&nbsp;UN report&nbsp;says</a>

The two sides are part of the Sunni Muslim coalition, led by&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia&nbsp;and the UAE, that intervened in&nbsp;Yemen&nbsp;in March 2015 against the Iran-aligned Houthi group which ousted the government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi from power in the capital Sanaa in 2014.

But the separatists, who seek to restore the former&nbsp;South&nbsp;Yemen&nbsp;republic, turned on the government in early August and seized control of Aden, interim seat of Hadi's government.

They have since been trying to extend their reach to nearby Abyan and Shabwa, clashing repeatedly with government forces.

Saudi&nbsp;Arabia&nbsp;has reinforced its positions in Shabwa and Aden as Riyadh called for talks to resolve the crisis and refocus the Western-backed coalition on battling the Houthis, who have stepped up missile and drone attacks on&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;cities.

"Saudi&nbsp;forces arrived in Shabwa and started working with the local government for a de-escalation and a ceasefire. All parties responded positively to the coalition's calls," coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki said on Monday.

Trenches and tunnels

Saudi&nbsp;Arabia's main coalition partner, the Gulf ally the UAE, openly intervened on behalf of the separatist&nbsp;Southern Transitional Council (STC) last week by bombing government forces trying to regain control of Aden, forcing them to retreat.

STC forces also brought reinforcements into Aden, witnesses said on Tuesday, calling back fighters who had been deployed on the outskirts of the main port of Hodeidah, held by the Houthis, in the west.

The fighters dug tunnels and built trenches at the edges of Aden and blocked main roads leading out of the city to prevent government forces from recapturing it, they said.

The STC, which accuses Hadi's government of mismanagement, made its move on Aden after the UAE scaled down its military presence in&nbsp;Yemen&nbsp;in June under increased Western pressure to the end the war. But Abu Dhabi retained influence through tens of thousands of&nbsp;southern fighters it has armed and trained.

The UN&nbsp;Security Council last week urged all sides to show restraint and preserve&nbsp;Yemen's territorial integrity.

Escalating violence across&nbsp;Yemen&nbsp;and the evident rift between&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia&nbsp;and the UAE could complicate United Nations efforts to restart peace talks to end the conflict, which is largely seen as a proxy war between&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia&nbsp;and Iran.

Earlier this week, coalition warplanes bombed a prison complex in&nbsp;southwest&nbsp;Yemen, killing more than 100 people. The UN&nbsp;called for an investigation but the coalition insisted it had struck a Houthi arms storage site.

The Houthis, who hold Sanaa and most big population centres, have seized on the Aden events as proof that Hadi cannot rule or be a serious partner in any negotiations. The group denies being a puppet of Tehran and says it is fighting a corrupt system.

Saudi Arabia has deployed more troops in southern Yemen to try to contain clashes between nominal allies in the Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Houthis that risks further fragmenting the country.

Saudi Arabia has deployed more troops in southern Yemen to try to contain clashes between nominal allies in the Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Houthis that risks further fragmenting the country. The fight for the south of the country has opened a new conflict, focused around the port of Aden, in a multifaceted war that has killed tens of thousands and pushed the long-impoverished Arabian Peninsula nation to the brink of famine. Saudi soldiers and armed vehicles arrived over the weekend in the capital of the oil-producing Shabwa province where the United Arab Emirates-backed separatists have been battling forces of Yemen's Saudi-backed government for control, two local officials said. Also Read: US, France, Britain may be complicit in Yemen war crimes, UN report says The two sides are part of the Sunni Muslim coalition, led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, that intervened in Yemen in March 2015 against the Iran-aligned Houthi group which ousted the government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi from power in the capital Sanaa in 2014. But the separatists, who seek to restore the former South Yemen republic, turned on the government in early August and seized control of Aden, interim seat of Hadi's government. They have since been trying to extend their reach to nearby Abyan and Shabwa, clashing repeatedly with government forces. Saudi Arabia has reinforced its positions in Shabwa and Aden as Riyadh called for talks to resolve the crisis and refocus the Western-backed coalition on battling the Houthis, who have stepped up missile and drone attacks on Saudi cities. "Saudi forces arrived in Shabwa and started working with the local government for a de-escalation and a ceasefire. All parties responded positively to the coalition's calls," coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki said on Monday. Trenches and tunnels Saudi Arabia's main coalition partner, the Gulf ally the UAE, openly intervened on behalf of the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) last week by bombing government forces trying to regain control of Aden, forcing them to retreat. STC forces also brought reinforcements into Aden, witnesses said on Tuesday, calling back fighters who had been deployed on the outskirts of the main port of Hodeidah, held by the Houthis, in the west. The fighters dug tunnels and built trenches at the edges of Aden and blocked main roads leading out of the city to prevent government forces from recapturing it, they said. The STC, which accuses Hadi's government of mismanagement, made its move on Aden after the UAE scaled down its military presence in Yemen in June under increased Western pressure to the end the war. But Abu Dhabi retained influence through tens of thousands of southern fighters it has armed and trained. The UN Security Council last week urged all sides to show restraint and preserve Yemen's territorial integrity. Escalating violence across Yemen and the evident rift between Saudi Arabia and the UAE could complicate United Nations efforts to restart peace talks to end the conflict, which is largely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Earlier this week, coalition warplanes bombed a prison complex in southwest Yemen, killing more than 100 people. The UN called for an investigation but the coalition insisted it had struck a Houthi arms storage site. The Houthis, who hold Sanaa and most big population centres, have seized on the Aden events as proof that Hadi cannot rule or be a serious partner in any negotiations. The group denies being a puppet of Tehran and says it is fighting a corrupt system.

Saudi Arabia boosts troop levels in south Yemen as tensions rise

More than 100 people are believed to have been killed in an airstrike by the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-led-coalition-says-it-bombed-houthi-arms-site-in-yemen-group-says-prison-hit-246991">Saudi-led military coalition</a> on a detention centre in Yemen, the International Committee of the Red Cross said Sunday.

The coalition said it targeted a facility run by the Huthi rebels that "stores drones and missiles", but the rebels said the attack had levelled a building they used as a prison.

The United Nations said 52 detainees were among the dead, with a further 68 still missing.

"Casualties are most likely to increase as rescue efforts are still ongoing," it said.

The ICRC rushed to the scene in the city of Dhamar with medical teams and hundreds of body bags.

"The location that was hit has been visited by ICRC before," Franz Rauchenstein, its head of delegation for Yemen, told AFP from Dhamar. "It's a college building that has been empty and has been used as a detention facility for a while."

"What is most disturbing is that (the attack was) on a prison. To hit such a building is shocking and saddening – prisoners are protected by international law."

Rauchenstein said that over 100 people were estimated to be dead, and that at least 40 survivors were being treated for their injuries in hospitals in the city, south of the capital Sanaa.

ICRC teams collecting bodies were also "working relentlessly to find survivors under the rubble", he said, but cautioned that the chances of finding any were very slim.

Footage obtained by AFP showed heavy damage to the building and several bodies lying in the rubble, as bulldozers worked to clear away huge piles of debris.

The coalition intervened in 2015 to support the government after the Iran-aligned Huthis swept out of their northern stronghold to seize Sanaa and much of Yemen -- the Arab world's poorest nation.

Fighting since then has already claimed tens of thousands of lives and sparked what the United Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

'Staggering' casualties

The UN's humanitarian coordinator in Yemen called Sunday's airstrike "horrific" and said aid groups had been forced to divert critical medical supplies, intended for treating cholera outbreak, to Dhamar hospitals.

"We have no choice," Lise Grande said. "The scale of the casualties is staggering."

Both sides stand accused of actions that could amount to war crimes.

The coalition has been blacklisted by the UN for the killing of children, while Saudi Arabia and its allies accuse the Huthis of using civilians as human shields in densely populated areas.&nbsp;

Before the ICRC's comments, the coalition had insisted the strike was conducted against "a military compound which was a legitimate military target".

It said secondary explosions indicated the building was used to store weapons and that the Huthis were masking its identity by "claiming it was a secret prison".

"This is a traditional Huthi tactic and a violation of the laws of armed conflict. This site was not registered with the United Nations" and was not on the coalition's "no-strike list" of sites provided by the UN and other agencies, coalition spokesman Turki Al-Malki said in a statement.

The coalition said it "took all precautionary measures to protect civilians".

But Huthi television channel Al-Masirah said dozens had been killed and wounded in seven airstrikes that hit the building.

"The enemy targeted prisoners on purpose in Dhamar, many of whom were preparing to be released under a prison swap deal," Huthi rebel chief Abdelmalek al-Huthi said in a televised speech on Sunday.

The UN's Yemen envoy Martin Griffiths said Sunday's deaths were a "tragedy".

"The human cost of this war is unbearable," he said. "We need it to stop. Yemenis deserve a peaceful future."

The attack in Dhamar comes weeks after a new front opened in Yemen's complex war, pitting two of Riyadh's allies against each other in a struggle for control of the south.

The United Arab Emirates, a key member of the coalition backing the Yemeni government, has also trained and supported secessionists who seek an independent southern Yemen.&nbsp;

The southern forces last month seized control of the interim capital Aden in the south, in a see-sawing battle with government troops that has drawn warnings that the country could break apart entirely.

The government has accused the UAE of backing a "coup".

Analysts say the fight for the south is a key test for Saudi Arabia, which hopes to mediate a ceasefire so it can focus on its main mission of battling the Huthis who are aligned with its arch-foe Iran.

More than 100 people are believed to have been killed in an airstrike by the Saudi-led military coalition on a detention centre in Yemen, the International Committee of the Red Cross said Sunday.

More than 100 people are believed to have been killed in an airstrike by the Saudi-led military coalition on a detention centre in Yemen, the International Committee of the Red Cross said Sunday. The coalition said it targeted a facility run by the Huthi rebels that "stores drones and missiles", but the rebels said the attack had levelled a building they used as a prison. The United Nations said 52 detainees were among the dead, with a further 68 still missing. "Casualties are most likely to increase as rescue efforts are still ongoing," it said. The ICRC rushed to the scene in the city of Dhamar with medical teams and hundreds of body bags. "The location that was hit has been visited by ICRC before," Franz Rauchenstein, its head of delegation for Yemen, told AFP from Dhamar. "It's a college building that has been empty and has been used as a detention facility for a while." "What is most disturbing is that (the attack was) on a prison. To hit such a building is shocking and saddening – prisoners are protected by international law." Rauchenstein said that over 100 people were estimated to be dead, and that at least 40 survivors were being treated for their injuries in hospitals in the city, south of the capital Sanaa. ICRC teams collecting bodies were also "working relentlessly to find survivors under the rubble", he said, but cautioned that the chances of finding any were very slim. Footage obtained by AFP showed heavy damage to the building and several bodies lying in the rubble, as bulldozers worked to clear away huge piles of debris. The coalition intervened in 2015 to support the government after the Iran-aligned Huthis swept out of their northern stronghold to seize Sanaa and much of Yemen -- the Arab world's poorest nation. Fighting since then has already claimed tens of thousands of lives and sparked what the United Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. 'Staggering' casualties The UN's humanitarian coordinator in Yemen called Sunday's airstrike "horrific" and said aid groups had been forced to divert critical medical supplies, intended for treating cholera outbreak, to Dhamar hospitals. "We have no choice," Lise Grande said. "The scale of the casualties is staggering." Both sides stand accused of actions that could amount to war crimes. The coalition has been blacklisted by the UN for the killing of children, while Saudi Arabia and its allies accuse the Huthis of using civilians as human shields in densely populated areas. Before the ICRC's comments, the coalition had insisted the strike was conducted against "a military compound which was a legitimate military target". It said secondary explosions indicated the building was used to store weapons and that the Huthis were masking its identity by "claiming it was a secret prison". "This is a traditional Huthi tactic and a violation of the laws of armed conflict. This site was not registered with the United Nations" and was not on the coalition's "no-strike list" of sites provided by the UN and other agencies, coalition spokesman Turki Al-Malki said in a statement. The coalition said it "took all precautionary measures to protect civilians". But Huthi television channel Al-Masirah said dozens had been killed and wounded in seven airstrikes that hit the building. "The enemy targeted prisoners on purpose in Dhamar, many of whom were preparing to be released under a prison swap deal," Huthi rebel chief Abdelmalek al-Huthi said in a televised speech on Sunday. The UN's Yemen envoy Martin Griffiths said Sunday's deaths were a "tragedy". "The human cost of this war is unbearable," he said. "We need it to stop. Yemenis deserve a peaceful future." The attack in Dhamar comes weeks after a new front opened in Yemen's complex war, pitting two of Riyadh's allies against each other in a struggle for control of the south. The United Arab Emirates, a key member of the coalition backing the Yemeni government, has also trained and supported secessionists who seek an independent southern Yemen. The southern forces last month seized control of the interim capital Aden in the south, in a see-sawing battle with government troops that has drawn warnings that the country could break apart entirely. The government has accused the UAE of backing a "coup". Analysts say the fight for the south is a key test for Saudi Arabia, which hopes to mediate a ceasefire so it can focus on its main mission of battling the Huthis who are aligned with its arch-foe Iran.

More than 100 killed in air strike on Yemen prison: International Committee of Red Cross

Saudi-led military coalition conduct airstrikes, Dozens reported dead in Airstrikes.

Fresh airstrikes in Yemen

Suicide attack kills three members of Yemen security forces. Watch video to know more.

Suicide attack kills three members of Yemen security forces

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/why-the-cia-doesnt-spy-on-the-uae-245781">United Arab Emirates</a> has confirmed launching air strikes on Yemen's interim capital <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/saudi-coalition-launches-airstrike-against-separatists-in-aden-242344">Aden</a> targeting "terrorist militias" after the government there announced the raids hit its troops.

A foreign ministry statement late Thursday said "precise and direct air strikes" on Wednesday and Thursday hit the militias.

The Abu Dhabi statement added that they had planned to target a Saudi-led military coalition, of which the UAE is a key member, backing the Yemen government against Iran-aligned <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/drone-shot-down-in-yemen-houthi-group-responsible-us-officials-244640">Huthi </a>rebels.&nbsp;

The UAE said it acted in "self-defence" after attacks by "armed groups affiliated with terrorist organisations".

"The military operation against the terrorist militias was based on confirmed field intelligence that the militias prepared to target the coalition forces -- a development which required a preemptive operation to avert any military threat," it said.

"The strikes against the Arab Coalition were launched by armed groups affiliated with terrorist organisations. These armed groups attacked the Arab Coalition at Aden Airport, causing two injuries to the coalition forces," it added.

"Accordingly, the Coalition responded as per their right of self-defence to protect the security of their forces," said the statement which was carried by the Emirates' official WAM news agency.

Watch video: Houthi attack on military parade in Yemen kills more than 30

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/houthi-attack-on-military-parade-in-yemen-kills-more-than-30-sources-239948/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

On Thursday Yemen's government accused the UAE of launching air strikes in Aden in support of separatists who say they have regained control of the southern city.

"The Yemeni government condemns the Emirati air strikes against government forces in the interim capital Aden and in Zinjibar, which resulted in civilian and military casualties," Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad al-Hadhrami said in a tweet.

Yemeni Information Minister Muammar al-Iryani later tweeted that the alleged UAE strikes had killed 40 combatants and wounded 70 civilians.&nbsp;

Abu Dhabi has trained and supported secessionists who seek an independent southern Yemen, despite being a key pillar in the coalition backing the government against the Huthi rebels.

The United Arab Emirates has confirmed launching air strikes on Yemen's interim capital Aden targeting "terrorist militias" after the government there announced the raids hit its troops.

The United Arab Emirates has confirmed launching air strikes on Yemen's interim capital Aden targeting "terrorist militias" after the government there announced the raids hit its troops. A foreign ministry statement late Thursday said "precise and direct air strikes" on Wednesday and Thursday hit the militias. The Abu Dhabi statement added that they had planned to target a Saudi-led military coalition, of which the UAE is a key member, backing the Yemen government against Iran-aligned Huthi rebels. The UAE said it acted in "self-defence" after attacks by "armed groups affiliated with terrorist organisations". "The military operation against the terrorist militias was based on confirmed field intelligence that the militias prepared to target the coalition forces -- a development which required a preemptive operation to avert any military threat," it said. "The strikes against the Arab Coalition were launched by armed groups affiliated with terrorist organisations. These armed groups attacked the Arab Coalition at Aden Airport, causing two injuries to the coalition forces," it added. "Accordingly, the Coalition responded as per their right of self-defence to protect the security of their forces," said the statement which was carried by the Emirates' official WAM news agency. Watch video: Houthi attack on military parade in Yemen kills more than 30 × On Thursday Yemen's government accused the UAE of launching air strikes in Aden in support of separatists who say they have regained control of the southern city. "The Yemeni government condemns the Emirati air strikes against government forces in the interim capital Aden and in Zinjibar, which resulted in civilian and military casualties," Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad al-Hadhrami said in a tweet. Yemeni Information Minister Muammar al-Iryani later tweeted that the alleged UAE strikes had killed 40 combatants and wounded 70 civilians. Abu Dhabi has trained and supported secessionists who seek an independent southern Yemen, despite being a key pillar in the coalition backing the government against the Huthi rebels.

United Arab Emirates confirms Aden air strikes on 'terrorist militias'

The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen moved on Monday to work out a ceasefire as nominal allies in the south of the country turned on each other in a power struggle that has fractured the military alliance.

The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen moved on Monday to work out a ceasefire as nominal allies in the south of the country turned on each other in a power struggle that has fractured the military alliance. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the main powers in Yemen's Sunni Muslim coalition, formed a joint committee to oversee a ceasefire between UAE-backed southern separatists and Saudi-backed government forces in the provinces of Abyan and Shabwa, said a joint statement carried on state media. "Internal dialogue, and not fighting, is the only way to resolve internal Yemeni differences," Saudi vice minister of defence, Khalid bin Salman, tweeted on Monday. "We are working with the UAE for security and stability in Aden, Shabwa, and Abyan and ... to unify ranks and voices to combat terrorist threats, whether from the Iran-backed Houthis or from al Qaeda and Daesh (Islamic State)," Khalid, a son of the Saudi king, said. Separatists forces early this month took over the southern port of Aden, the interim seat of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's government, and last week extended their reach to the capital of nearby Abyan. Southern fighters and government forces have also clashed in the oil-producing Shabwa province. Both sides are part of the Saudi-led, Western-backed coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 against the Houthis, who ousted Hadi's government from power in the capital Sanaa in late 2014. But the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), which seeks self-rule in the south, seized control of Aden after accusing a party allied to Hadi of being complicit in a Houthi attack on southern forces. The standoff has exposed a rift between regional allies Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which in June scaled down its presence in Yemen under Western pressure to end the devastating war but continues to support thousands of southern separatist forces. The violence in the south complicated UN efforts to implement peace deals elsewhere in the Arabian Peninsula state and pave the way for negotiations to end a war that has killed tens of thousands and pushed Yemen to the brink of famine. The Saudi-UAE statement urged all parties to cooperate with the joint committee to disengage and redeploy troops and reiterated a Saudi call for a summit in the kingdom to resolve the standoff. It also stressed the need to preserve "the interests, security, stability, independence and territorial integrity of the Yemeni people under the leadership of the legitimate president of Yemen". Hadi’s government has said it would not participate until separatists ceded control of sites they had seized. The separatist STC has said it would not hand over control of government military camps in Aden and other areas until the Islamist Islah party, a backbone of Hadi's government, and northerners are removed from positions of power in the south. The Houthis, who have recently stepped up missile and drone attacks on Saudi cities, point to Aden as proof that Hadi, who resides in Riyadh, is unfit to rule. The movement denies being a puppet of Iran and says it is fighting a corrupt system.

Saudi-led coalition moves to stabilise south Yemen as allies face-off

The World Food Programme (WFP) on Wednesday (August 21) resumed distributing food to 850,000 people in Yemen's capital Sanaa after a two-month stoppage, having reached an agreement with the Iran-aligned Houthi authorities who control the city.

WFP resumes food distribution in Yemen's Sanaa after deal with Houthis

A US military MQ-9 drone was shot down in Yemen's Dhamar governate, southeast of the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa, two US officials told Reuters on Wednesday.

A Houthi military spokesman had earlier said that air defences had brought down a US drone.

The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the drone was shot down late on Tuesday.

This is not the first time a US drone has been shot down in Yemen. In June, the US military said that Houthi rebels had shot down a US government-operated drone with assistance from Iran.

US forces have occasionally launched drone and airstrikes against Yemen’s al Qaeda branch, known as Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

One of the officials said that it appeared that the drone had been shot down by a surface-to-air missile operated by the Iran-aligned Houthi group. The other official cautioned that it was too early to tell who was responsible for the incident.

The drone shoot down comes as tensions between Iran and the United States have risen since President Donald Trump's administration last year quit an international deal to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions and began to ratchet up sanctions.

A US military MQ-9 drone was shot down in Yemen's Dhamar governate, southeast of the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa, two US officials told Reuters on Wednesday.

A US military MQ-9 drone was shot down in Yemen's Dhamar governate, southeast of the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa, two US officials told Reuters on Wednesday. A Houthi military spokesman had earlier said that air defences had brought down a US drone. The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the drone was shot down late on Tuesday. This is not the first time a US drone has been shot down in Yemen. In June, the US military said that Houthi rebels had shot down a US government-operated drone with assistance from Iran. US forces have occasionally launched drone and airstrikes against Yemen’s al Qaeda branch, known as Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). One of the officials said that it appeared that the drone had been shot down by a surface-to-air missile operated by the Iran-aligned Houthi group. The other official cautioned that it was too early to tell who was responsible for the incident. The drone shoot down comes as tensions between Iran and the United States have risen since President Donald Trump's administration last year quit an international deal to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions and began to ratchet up sanctions.

Drone shot down in Yemen, Houthi group responsible: US officials

Saudi-led coalition warplanes fired flares over Yemen's Aden at dawn on Saturday near camps occupied by southern separatist fighters who last week seized control of the port city which had been the interim seat of the government.

The coalition overnight on Saturday renewed a call for the separatist forces to withdraw from all sites they have recently captured in Aden.

The seizure of government military bases by separatist fighters a week ago has complicated United Nations <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/separatist-takeover-of-yemens-aden-leaves-saudi-arabia-in-a-bind-242232">efforts to end Yemen's war as violence escalates on other fronts</a>.

The Iran-aligned Houthi movement, which a Saudi-led coalition has been battling for more than four years, said on Saturday it launched drone attacks on oil installations at Shaybah in Saudi Arabia. There was no immediate confirmation from Saudi authorities.

The Aden crisis has also exposed strains in the Sunni Muslim coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to try to restore Yemen's Saudi-backed government after it was ousted from power in the capital Sanna by the Houthis in late 2014.

The separatists, backed by coalition member the United Arab Emirates, are a major component in the anti-Houthi alliance. But the war has rekindled old strains between north and south Yemen - formerly separate countries until 1990.

The coalition statement called for dialogue and said all forces in the south should unite under the coalition to fight the Houthis.

Southern Transitional Council (STC) sources told Reuters their forces, which had already moved away from the nearly empty presidential palace and central bank, were vacating government institutions under the supervision of a Saudi-UAE delegation.

They said the forces would not quit the government military camps that give them effective control of the city.

"We will not retreat, we will not budge and planes will not scare us," a statement from one of the brigades fighting as part of the southern separatists said, in response to Saturday's flares and low-flying warplanes.

The Saudi-backed government's information minister, Muammar al-Iryani, welcomed the STC withdrawal from state institutions which he said included the central bank, Aden hospital and the cabinet secretariat.

"Measures are being completed to hand over the interior ministry and Aden refinery to presidential guard units under the supervision of the coalition," he tweeted.

An STC spokesman told Reuters last week they would not cede control unless the Islamist Islah party, a backbone of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's government, and northerners were removed from positions of power in the south.

The Yemen war has been in military stalemate for years. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have come under pressure from Western allies, including those that supply them with arms, to end a conflict that has pushed Yemen to the brink of famine.

The UAE in June scaled down its presence in Yemen, leaving behind thousands of southern forces it has built and trained.

Saudi-led coalition warplanes fired flares over Yemen's Aden at dawn on Saturday near camps occupied by southern separatist fighters who last week seized control of the port city which had been the interim seat of the government.

Saudi-led coalition warplanes fired flares over Yemen's Aden at dawn on Saturday near camps occupied by southern separatist fighters who last week seized control of the port city which had been the interim seat of the government. The coalition overnight on Saturday renewed a call for the separatist forces to withdraw from all sites they have recently captured in Aden. The seizure of government military bases by separatist fighters a week ago has complicated United Nations efforts to end Yemen's war as violence escalates on other fronts. The Iran-aligned Houthi movement, which a Saudi-led coalition has been battling for more than four years, said on Saturday it launched drone attacks on oil installations at Shaybah in Saudi Arabia. There was no immediate confirmation from Saudi authorities. The Aden crisis has also exposed strains in the Sunni Muslim coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to try to restore Yemen's Saudi-backed government after it was ousted from power in the capital Sanna by the Houthis in late 2014. The separatists, backed by coalition member the United Arab Emirates, are a major component in the anti-Houthi alliance. But the war has rekindled old strains between north and south Yemen - formerly separate countries until 1990. The coalition statement called for dialogue and said all forces in the south should unite under the coalition to fight the Houthis. Southern Transitional Council (STC) sources told Reuters their forces, which had already moved away from the nearly empty presidential palace and central bank, were vacating government institutions under the supervision of a Saudi-UAE delegation. They said the forces would not quit the government military camps that give them effective control of the city. "We will not retreat, we will not budge and planes will not scare us," a statement from one of the brigades fighting as part of the southern separatists said, in response to Saturday's flares and low-flying warplanes. The Saudi-backed government's information minister, Muammar al-Iryani, welcomed the STC withdrawal from state institutions which he said included the central bank, Aden hospital and the cabinet secretariat. "Measures are being completed to hand over the interior ministry and Aden refinery to presidential guard units under the supervision of the coalition," he tweeted. An STC spokesman told Reuters last week they would not cede control unless the Islamist Islah party, a backbone of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's government, and northerners were removed from positions of power in the south. The Yemen war has been in military stalemate for years. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have come under pressure from Western allies, including those that supply them with arms, to end a conflict that has pushed Yemen to the brink of famine. The UAE in June scaled down its presence in Yemen, leaving behind thousands of southern forces it has built and trained.

Saudi-led coalition fires flares over Yemen's Aden, separatists quit some posts

yemen

Yemen, News on Yemen, stories on Yemen, articles on Yemen, Yemen stories at Wion, Yemen news, Yemen latest news