Clashes and air strikes have left 84 people dead around Yemen's Red Sea port city of Hodeida since the collapse of UN-brokered peace talks, hospital sources said Sunday.

The sources in Hodeida province, controlled by Huthi rebels, said 11 soldiers and 73 insurgents had been killed since the talks were abandoned on Saturday.

Dozens of rebels and at least 17 soldiers had been wounded.

The pro-government coalition, which includes Saudi and UAE air forces, has been pushing to close in on Hodeida, the entry point for some 70 percent of Yemen's imports including food and aid, since June.

The coalition on Sunday was positioned to attempt to seize the main road linking Sanaa, the rebel-held capital, to the port city, a military official told AFP.

The road is a key supply route for the Huthis.

In July, the coalition announced a temporary ceasefire in Hodeida to give a chance to UN-brokered peace talks.

But UN attempts to hold peace talks between Yemen's Saudi-backed government and the Huthis, linked to Saudi Arabia's archrival Iran, were abandoned on Saturday, sparking fears of an escalation in the conflict.

The rebels refused to leave Yemen for Geneva, saying the UN had not met their demands -- including a plane to transport their wounded to nearby Oman and a guarantee their delegation would be allowed to return to Sanaa.

In 2014, the Huthis seized control of a string of Red Sea ports and the capital, driving the government out of Sanaa and the president into exile.

In 2015, Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in the conflict to bolster President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, recognised by the UN as Yemen's president. They now control Yemen's airspace.

Nearly 10,000 people have since been killed and the country now stands at the brink of famine.

Related Links
Space War News

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Russian air strikes pound Syria's Idlib before key summit
Beirut (AFP) Sept 7, 2018
Russian air strikes killed two people in Syria's Idlib Friday, a monitor said, as President Vladimir Putin was in Tehran for a summit on the fate of the last major rebel bastion. Putin, who backs the Damascus regime, was to meet the leaders of fellow government ally Iran and rebel backer Turkey to determine the future of the northwestern province on the Turkish border. Government forces have been massing around Idlib for weeks ahead of an expected offensive on the province, which is held by jiha ... read more