Brigadier General Yahya Sari, spokesman of the Yemeni Armed Forces
On December 13, Brig. Gen. Yahya Sari, a spokesman of the Yemeni Armed Forces [an ally of the Houthis], told the Saba News Agency that the Saudi-led coalition and its proxies had stepped up their military operations throughout Yemen during the last day of the peace talks in Sweden.
According to Brig. Gen. Sari, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted more than 18 airstrikes on residential areas on the western Yemeni coast. The coalition also launched several ground attacks in the provinces of Saana, al-Bayda and Saada in the central and northern Yemen.
“The aggressor’s mercenaries continued to send reinforcements to Nihm, Razah, Baqam and the west coast, which confirms that they are planning to escalate and that they are not serious about achieving peace for the Yemeni people,” Saba News Agency quoted Brig. Gen Sari as saying.
Earlier, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced that Yemen’s warring sides reached a ceasefire agreement that covers the strategic provinces of Taiz and al-Hudaydah. Under the agreement, both sides are also not allowed to reinforce their positions in the two provinces.
The Saudi-led coalition actions indicate that the initial agreement on Taiz and al-Hudaydah may not hold until the next round of peace talks, which will likely be held next January.
