UAE suspends offensive against Yemen's Hudaydah
The United Arab Emirates has announced a pause in its weeks-long military campaign on Hudaydah amid reports that the Saudi-led push has hit a brick wall in the face of stiff resistance from Yemen's Ansarullah movement.
In a post on his Twitter account on Sunday, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said that the halt in the offensive was meant to give a chance to UN efforts aimed at resolving the conflict.
"We welcome continuing efforts by UN Special Envoy, Martin Griffiths, to achieve an unconditional Ansarullah withdrawal from Hudaydah city and port," he said.
"We have paused our campaign to allow enough time for this option to be fully explored. We hope he will succeed."
Backed by Saudi-led airstrikes, Emirati forces and militants loyal to the former Yemeni government launched the Hudaydah assault on June 13 despite warnings that it would compound the impoverished nation’s humanitarian crisis.
Malaysia said on Thursday it was pulling its troops out of the Saudi-led military coalition that has been bombing Yemen over the past three years.
“The Cabinet made the decision (to bring soldiers home) last week. We are waiting for the preparations carried out by the Armed Forces,” Malaysia’s Defense Minister Mohamad Sabu said.
The Ansarullah and allied armed forces have managed to inflict heavy losses on the invaders.
UN envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths on Thursday expressed hope that a new round of peace talks between major warring sides of the country could begin this month.
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