| Submit your comments on this article |
| Arabia |
| No civilian casualties in Hodeidah Airport battle |
| 2018-06-21 |
| [ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] There have been no civilian casualties in the battle to liberate Yemen’s Hodeidah Airport, Arab Coalition front man Turki al-Malki said in an interview with Al Arabiya from Brussels, accusing the Houthis of placing tanks inside residential areas. "We are now destroying Houthi ...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The Yemeni government has accused the Houthis of having ties to the Iranian government, which wouldn't suprise most of us. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews... fortifications near the airport," he said, adding that the operation has not resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis in Hodeidah. "Hodeidah port is operating as normal and the movement of ships is normal," Malki said. "We have humanitarian and development plans for when we liberate the entire city." Arab Coalition forces launched strikes on Houthi militia targets in the key port city of Hodeidah on Wednesday as Yemeni armed forces de-mined neighborhoods. An Al Arabiya English correspondent reported the strikes on eastern Hodeidah and said on the ground, armed forces were combing through residential areas in the city. This came after Yemeni government forces seized Hodeidah airport from Houthi militias, their commander said, in a major step towards retaking the city. "The airport was completely cleared, Thank God, and is under control," coalition commander Abdul Salaam al-Shehi said in a video posted by the United Arab Emirates' official WAM news agency. |
| Posted by:Fred |