Yemen army stops Houthi advance towards south Hodeidah

Yemeni fighters from the Amalqa Brigades, loyal to the Saudi-backed government, ride in the back of a pickup truck carrying an anti-aircraft gun during the offensive to seize the Red Sea port city of Hodeida from Iran-backed Houthis, on its southern outskirts near the airport on June 21, 2018. (File/AFP)

DUBAI: Yemen’s national army, backed by the Saudi-led Arab coalition, foiled an attempt by Houthi militia to infiltrate areas in the Hays district in the southern countryside of Hodeidah province, Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

“The Houthis tried to infiltrate through a valley in the outskirts of Hays, but our forces thwarted the attempt and inflicted heavy casualties on the militia and their equipment,” Yemen’s army media center said.

Meanwhile, SPA reported that the Houthis continued “criminal operations” and “violations against civilians in the province.”

The statement added that the Houthi militia had shelled several civilian houses with mortars, causing severe damage, displacing dozens of families.