YEMEN – Yemen, coalition forces are close to capturing airport in port cityof Hodeidah.
Quoting residents and sources in coalition forces, Reuters news agency saidthe alliance, led in the Hodeidah assault by the United Arab Emirates, isattempting to capture the airport in the well-defended city and push theHouthis out of their sole Red Sea port, in the biggest battle of the war.
However, the Houthi movement put up stiff resistance today to keep theSaudi-led coalition from taking full control of the airport.
Ground troops – who include United Arab Emirates forces, Sudanese andYemenis from various factions – have surrounded the main airport compoundbut have not seized it so far.
Meanwhile, the UN envoy for Yemen arrived in the rebel-held capital Sanaatoday for talks on the key port of Hodeida where rebel fighters arebattling a regional coalition.
Martin Griffiths is expected to propose to rebel leaders that they cedecontrol of the Red Sea port to a UN-supervised committee to avoid furtherfighting with advancing government troops.
Some 70 percent of Yemeni imports pass through the city’s docks and thefighting has raised UN fears of humanitarian catastrophe in a countryalready teetering on the brink of famine.