Saudi-led coalition sends thousands of troops towards Yemen port – report

30 Oct, 2018 12:10 / Updated 6 years ago

The Arab coalition in Yemen has sent more than 10,000 new troops towards a vital rebel-held port city ahead of a new assault, Yemeni government officials said Tuesday. The pro-government coalition deployed the reinforcements to the Red Sea coast ahead of a new offensive on Hodeida “within days,” a military official told AFP. They would also “secure areas liberated” from the Houthi rebels, he said, adding that forces from Sudan, part of the coalition, had moved in to “secure” areas around the city. Houthi rebels have for the past 10 days been stationing fighters on rooftops of buildings in Hodeida city, according to government military officials. The adjacent port is the entry point for three quarters of imports to the impoverished country, which is teetering on the edge of famine.