Yemen’s Shiite rebels have handed over control of the main port in the Red Sea city of Hodeida to the government’s navy and coastguard, security officials said on Saturday. The transfer was carried out under the supervision of UN monitors as part of a deal reached in peace talks in Sweden earlier this month, AP reports. The Houthi rebels now control most of northern Yemen, including Hodeida. A Saudi-led coalition has been fighting on the government side since 2015. The talks in Sweden also produced a deal on the exchange of thousands of prisoners of war from both sides. </s> SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Yemen’s Shiite rebels on Saturday said they handed over control of the main port in the Red Sea city of Hodeida to the coast guard and local administrators, but the government denied that, calling it a ploy by the Iran-aligned rebels to maintain control of the strategic facility.

The handover was supposed to be the first in a series of confidence-building measures agreed to in Sweden that could pave the way for a political settlement of Yemen’s 4-year-old war pitting the rebels known as Houthis against the internationally recognized government backed since 2015 by a Saudi-led coalition.

But the pro-government Sabaa news agency quoted what it called an official source as saying the Houthis’ assertion about giving up the port was an attempt to sidestep the Sweden agreement.

“We cannot accept these violations, which will lead to the failure of the agreement,” the agency quoted the source as saying.

Military and local Hodeida officials loyal to the government said the Houthis had taken advantage of their control of the city to place loyalist administrators and fighters in both the port management and the coast guard.

“It’s a stage play in which the Houthis handed over the port to their fighters after they put on coast guard uniforms,” said the Hodeida governor, al-Hassan Taher.

The rebels control most of northern Yemen, including the capital of Sanaa, while their foes control much of the south, including the Arabian Sea port city of Aden, where the exiled government is located.

The two sides have observed a cease-fire in Hodeida for more than a week, ending months of fierce fighting between the two sides for control of the city. A U.N. team led by retired Dutch Maj. Gen. Patrick Cammaert arrived last week in the city to monitor the cease-fire.

Some 70 percent of Yemen’s imports come through Hodeida, and the Sweden deal is designed in part to facilitate the arrival of relief supplies to push Yemen back from the brink of famine. The fighting has killed tens of thousands of people, and has driven millions to hunger. The U.N. calls it the world’s worst humanitarian disaster.

The two sides also agreed in Sweden to exchange prisoners of war in a deal involving thousands captured from both sides. The implementation of that deal is yet to begin and may run into difficulties.

Government officials maintain that the Houthis are denying the presence in their detention facilities of nearly 3,000 people among a total of some 8,500 prisoners whose names were submitted to the rebels. </s> SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Security officials say Yemen's Shiite rebels have handed over control of the main port in the Red Sea city of Hodeida to the government's navy and coast guard.

They said Saturday's transfer was carried out under the supervision of U.N. monitors as part of a deal reached in peace talks in Sweden earlier this month.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

Yemen plunged into civil war in 2014 when the rebels captured the capital Sanaa. They now control most of northern Yemen, including Hodeida. A Saudi-led coalition has been fighting on the government side since 2015.

The talks in Sweden also produced a deal on the exchange of thousands of prisoners of war from both sides. </s> SANAA, YEMEN—Yemen's Shiite rebels on Saturday handed over control of the main port in the Red Sea city of Hodeida to the country's navy and coast guard under U.N. supervision, security officials said, in a significant step in the implementation of a deal reached during peace talks in Sweden earlier this month.

The handover is the first in a series of confidence-building measures agreed to in Sweden that could pave the way for a political settlement of Yemen's 4-year-old war pitting the Iran-aligned rebels known as Houthis against the internationally recognized government backed since 2015 by a Saudi-led coalition.

The rebels control most of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, while their war foes control much of the south, including the Arabian Sea port city of Aden, where the exiled government is located.

The two sides have observed a cease-fire in Hodeida for more than a week, ending months of fierce fighting between the two sides for control of Hodeida. A U.N. team led by a Dutch officer arrived last week in the city to monitor the cease-fire. The U.N. team is led by retired Dutch Maj. Gen. Patrick Cammaert.

Some 70 per cent of Yemen's imports come through Hodeida, and the Sweden deal is designed in part to facilitate the arrival of relief supplies to push Yemen back from the brink of famine. The fighting has killed tens of thousands of people, and has driven millions to hunger. The U.N. calls it the world's worst humanitarian disaster.

The two sides also agreed in Sweden to exchange prisoners of war in a deal involving thousands captured from both sides. The implementation of that deal is yet to begin and may run into difficulties.

Government officials maintain that the Houthis are denying the presence in their detention facilities of nearly 3,000 from a total of some 8,500 prisoners whose names were submitted to the rebels.

The security officials said the Houthis have taken advantage of their control of Hodeida to place their fighters in both the navy and the coastguard, something that has been a major source of concern for the government side. The two sides also agreed over the weekend to open "humanitarian corridors" extending from Hodeida to Sanaa to allow relief supplies to peacefully pass through.

However, the government side complains that the proposed corridors have been heavily mined by the Houthis. There was no immediate comment from the rebels' side on this charge.

The security officials said the Houthis are expected in the next few days to hand over control of two more ports north of Hodeida — the oil terminal of Rass Issa and Salif, which has been used for incoming relief supplies — under the Sweden deal. The government side, on its part, would redeploy its forces out of the eastern reaches of Hodeida as a first step. </s> Shiite Houthi rebels have begun to withdraw from the key port in the Red Sea city of Hodeida as part of a deal reached in peace talks in Sweden earlier this month, a United Nations official said Saturday.

But the Yemeni government has disputed the withdrawal claim, calling it a ploy by the rebels to maintain control of the strategic area.

Military and local Hodeida officials loyal to the government have said the Houthis placed loyalist administrators and fighters in both the port management and the coast guard.

"It's a stage play in which the Houthis handed over the port to their fighters after they put on coast guard uniforms," said Hodeida Governor al-Hassan Taher.

Another pro-government official has called on the UN to put in place a "clear mechanism" to ensure a fair recruitment process at these facilities.

The Hodeida port handover was meant to be the first in a series of confidence-building measures between the Iran-aligned Shiite rebels and the Saudi-backed Sunni government, paving the way for a political settlement of Yemen's devastating four-year war.

The government and rebels also agreed in Sweden to exchange prisoners in a deal involving thousands captured on both sides.

The two sides have largely observed a ceasefire in Hodeida for more than a week, ending months of fierce fighting for control of the city.

A UN team, led by retired Dutch general Patrick Cammaert, arrived in the city last week to monitor the truce.

Houthi rebels control most of northern Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa, whereas their rivals govern much of the country's south, including the Arabian Sea port city of Aden, where the exiled government is located.

The Middle Eastern country has been torn apart by a protracted civil war between the internationally-recognized government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi and the Shiite Houthi rebels.

In support of the Hadi government, Riyadh launched an air campaign against the Houthis in March 2015. Saudi Arabia accuses Iran of backing the rebels, who have made significant territorial gains in the impoverished Middle Eastern country.

At least 10,000 people have been killed and more than 3 million people have been displaced since the start of the conflict. Around 80 percent of Yemen's population is in urgent need of aid, and millions of people have problems accessing water, according to the UN.

International pressure has mounted for the two sides to end the conflict. The United States has called for a ceasefire and reduced some of its logistical aid for the Saudi coalition, while Iran has also signaled support for the peace talks.

Every evening, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here. </s> Shiite Houthi rebels have handed over the control of the main port in the Red Sea city of Hodeida to Yemen's coast guards, the country's security officials told news agencies on condition of anonymity.

The transfer was carried out under the supervision of United Nations monitors as part of a deal reached in Sweden peace talks earlier this month.

The Hodeida port handover is believed to be the first in a series of confidence-building measures between the Iran-aligned Shiite rebels and the Saudi-backed Sunni government to pave the way for a political settlement of Yemen's devastating four years of war.

The government and rebels also agreed in Sweden to exchange prisoners of war in a deal involving thousands captured from both sides.

The two sides have largely observed a ceasefire in Hodeida for more than a week, ending months of fierce fighting for control of the city.

A UN team, led by retired Dutch general Patrick Cammaert, arrived in the city last week to monitor the truce.

Houthi rebels control most of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, whereas their rivals govern much of the country's south, including the Arabian Sea port city of Aden, where the exiled government is located.

The Middle Eastern country has been torn apart by a protracted civil war between the internationally-recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and the Shiite Houthi rebels.

Riyadh launched an air campaign against Houthis in March, 2015. Saudi Arabia accuses Iran of backing the rebels, who have made significant territorial gains in the impoverished Middle Eastern country.

More than 10,000 people have been killed and more than three million people have been displaced since the start of the conflict. More than 80 percent of Yemen's population is in urgent need of aid, and millions of people have problems accessing water, according to the UN.

International pressure has mounted for the two sides to end the conflict. The United States has called for a ceasefire and reduced some of its logistical aid for the Saudi coalition, while Iran has also signaled support for the talks.

Every evening, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here. </s> The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.

SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Security officials say Yemen’s Shiite rebels have handed over control of the main port in the Red Sea city of Hodeida to the government’s navy and coast guard.

They said Saturday’s transfer was carried out under the supervision of U.N. monitors as part of a deal reached in peace talks in Sweden earlier this month.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

Yemen plunged into civil war in 2014 when the rebels captured the capital Sanaa. They now control most of northern Yemen, including Hodeida. A Saudi-led coalition has been fighting on the government side since 2015.

The talks in Sweden also produced a deal on the exchange of thousands of prisoners of war from both sides.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards. </s> SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Saudi-led forces fought to retake the international airport of Yemen's rebel-held port city of Hodeida from the Shiite Houthi rebels, Yemeni officials and witnesses said on Saturday, as combat intensified for the starving nation's main gateway for food shipments.

With battles raging at the southern side of al-Hodeida International Airport, the military of Yemen's exiled government said it had entirely seized the facility, and that engineers were working to clear mines from nearby areas just south of the city of some 600,000 people on the Red Sea.

"The armed forces which are supported by the Arab coalition have freed the al-Hodeida International Airport from the Houthi militias and the engineering teams have started to clean the airport and its surroundings from mines and bombs," the military said on its official Twitter account.

Other government officials and witnesses later said coalition forces had not yet fully taken control of the airport. They said fighting was heavy just outside the airport gates.

Sadek Dawad, spokesman of the Republican Guards force loyal to the Saudis, said government forces had battled onto the airport grounds.

Dawad also said the southern gate of Hodeida city was captured by pro-coalition forces.

"The military operations to liberate the city of Hodeida will not be stopped until we secure the city and its strategic port and that won't last too long," he told The Associated Press.

Yemen's Shiite rebels known as Houthis, who hold the country's capital of Sanaa, did not immediately acknowledge losing the airport.

The Houthi-run Al Masirah satellite news channel aired footage it described as being from near Hodeida showing a burned-out truck, corpses of irregular fighters and a damaged Emirati armored vehicle. The Iranian-aligned fighters rifled through a military ledger from the vehicle before chanting their slogan: "Death to America, death to Israel, damn the Jews, victory to Islam!"

Yemeni officials and witnesses said forces from the United Arab Emirates-backed Amaleqa brigades, backed by air cover from the Saudi-led coalition, were heading to eastern Hodeida province to attempt to cut off the main road that links it with the capital, Sanaa.

The officials said if government forces capture the Kilo 16 Road they will trap the rebels in Hodeida and the western coast and prevent them from receiving supplies from the capital. The rebels are then expected to have no choice but to head to the northern province of Hajjah.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media and the witnesses for fear of reprisals.

The Norwegian Refugee Council said humanitarian agencies cannot reach the southern part of Hodeida as fighting escalated. It said in a statement that heavy airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition have moved confrontation lines deeper to the south.

United Nations special envoy Martin Griffiths, meanwhile arrived in Sanaa in an effort to broker a cease-fire.

The Saudi-led coalition began its assault Wednesday on Hodeida, the main entry for food into a country already on the brink of famine. Emirati forces are leading ground forces mixed with their own troops, irregular militiamen and soldiers backing Yemen's exiled government. Saudi Arabia has provided air support, with targeting guidance and refueling coming from the U.S.

International aid groups and the UN cautioned the Saudi-led coalition from launching the assault. Their fear is that a protracted fight could force a shutdown of Hodeida's port at a time when a halt in aid risks tipping millions into starvation. Some 70 percent of Yemen's food enters via the port, as well as the bulk of humanitarian aid and fuel supplies. Around two-thirds of the country's population of 27 million relies on aid and 8.4 million are already at risk of starving.

For its part, the Saudi-led coalition says it had no choice but to launch the assault as the port provided millions of dollars for the Houthis through customs controls. They also accuse the Houthis of using the port to smuggle weapons through, something a U.N. panels of experts described in January as "unlikely" as incoming ships require U.N. permission and are subject to random searches.

The U.N. and Western nations say Iran has supplied the Houthis with weapons, from assault rifles to the ballistic missiles they have fired deep into Saudi Arabia, including at the capital, Riyadh.

The coalition has blocked most ports, letting supplies into Hodeida in coordination with the U.N. The air campaign and fighting have disrupted other supply lines, causing an economic crisis that makes food too expensive for many to afford.

Aid agencies and the U.N. evacuated international staff from the city ahead of the offensive. Some of the wounded able to flee are driving onto Aden, some 315 kilometers (195 miles) away, after being stabilized at a hospital in Mocha on the way, the aid group Doctors Without Borders said. The local hospital in Hodeida already is struggling to help the wounded, the group said.

Thousands remain besieged in the city and around the airport due to the fighting.

"Families are trapped inside and it is difficult leaving as they are coming under airstrikes and bombardment by both parties of the war," relief worker Saber Wasel told The Associated Press. "It was a hard night for citizens because of the intensity of the strikes and gunfire."

The Houthis seized control of Sanaa in September 2014, later pushing south toward the port city of Aden. The Saudi-led coalition entered the conflict in March 2015 and has faced criticism for a campaign of airstrikes killing civilians and destroying hospitals and markets.

The Houthis meanwhile have laid land mines killing and wounding civilians, targeted religious minorities and imprisoned opponents.

Associated Press writers Maggie Michael and Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> SANAA, Yemen >> Saudi-led forces fought to retake the international airport of Yemen’s rebel-held port city of Hodeida, Yemeni officials and witnesses said on Saturday, as their Shiite Houthi rebel rivals denied the coalition had seized the facility that is the starving nation’s main gateway for food shipments.

With battles raging at the southern side of Hodeida International Airport, the military of Yemen’s exiled government said it had entirely seized the compound, and that engineers were working to clear mines from nearby areas just south of the city of some 600,000 people on the Red Sea.

“The armed forces which are supported by the Arab coalition have freed Hodeida International Airport from the Houthi militias and the engineering teams have started to clear the airport and its surroundings from mines and bombs,” the military said on its official Twitter account.

Sadek Dawad, spokesman of the Republican Guards force loyal to the Saudi-led coalition, said government forces had battled their way onto the airport’s grounds.

Dawad also said the southern gate of Hodeida city was captured by pro-coalition forces.

“The military operations to liberate the city of Hodeida will not be stopped until we secure the city and its strategic port and that won’t last too long,” he told The Associated Press.

Houthi-linked civil aviation authorities, however, denied that their rivals of the Saudi-led coalition and Yemeni forces have taken control of Hodeida’s airport.

A statement posted Saturday on the Houthis’ official news agency, SABA, quoted Ahmed Taresh, the head of Hodeida airport, as adding that airstrikes have completely destroyed the airport.

The Houthi-run Al Masirah satellite news channel aired footage it described as being from near Hodeida showing a burned-out truck, corpses of irregular fighters and a damaged Emirati armored vehicle. The Iranian-aligned fighters rifled through a military ledger from the vehicle before chanting their slogan: “Death to America, death to Israel, damn the Jews, victory to Islam!”

Yemeni officials and witnesses said forces from the United Arab Emirates-backed Amaleqa brigades, backed by air cover from the Saudi-led coalition, were heading to eastern Hodeida province to attempt to cut off the main road that links it with the capital, Sanaa.

The officials said that if government forces capture the Kilo 16 Road they will trap the rebels in Hodeida and the western coast and prevent them from receiving supplies from the capital. The rebels are then expected to have no choice but to head to the northern province of Hajjah.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media and the witnesses for fear of reprisals.

The Saudi-led coalition began its assault Wednesday on Hodeida, the main entry for food into a country already on the brink of famine. Emirati forces are leading ground forces mixed with their own troops, irregular militiamen and soldiers backing Yemen’s exiled government. Saudi Arabia has provided air support, with targeting guidance and refueling coming from the U.S.

United Nations special envoy Martin Griffiths, meanwhile arrived in Sanaa in an effort to broker a cease-fire.

International aid groups and the U.N. cautioned the Saudi-led coalition from launching the assault. Their fear is that a protracted fight could force a shutdown of Hodeida’s port at a time when a halt in aid risks tipping millions into starvation. Some 70 percent of Yemen’s food enters via the port, as well as the bulk of humanitarian aid and fuel supplies. Around two-thirds of the country’s population of 27 million relies on aid and 8.4 million are already at risk of starving.

The World Health Organization expressed concern on Saturday over the fighting around Hodeida, calling for unbroken aid access and protection of health workers.

In a statement Saturday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said “we stand with our U.N. partners to call on all parties to the conflict to protect the port, and allow its uninterrupted functioning. We also call on all parties to protect health workers and their facilities from harm, as well as to ensure unimpeded access for medical teams seeking to treat the wounded.”

For its part, the Saudi-led coalition says it had no choice but to launch the assault as the port provided millions of dollars for the Houthis through customs controls. They also accuse the Houthis of using the port to smuggle weapons through, something a U.N. panels of experts described in January as “unlikely” as incoming ships require U.N. permission and are subject to random searches.

The U.N. and Western nations say Iran has supplied the Houthis with weapons, from assault rifles to the ballistic missiles they have fired deep into Saudi Arabia, including at the capital, Riyadh.

The coalition has blocked most ports, letting supplies into Hodeida in coordination with the U.N. The air campaign and fighting have disrupted other supply lines, causing an economic crisis that makes food too expensive for many to afford.

Aid agencies and the U.N. evacuated international staff from the city ahead of the offensive. Some of the wounded able to flee are driving onto Aden, some 195 miles away, after being stabilized at a hospital in Mocha on the way, the aid group Doctors Without Borders said. The local hospital in Hodeida already is struggling to help the wounded, the group said.

Thousands remain besieged in the city and around the airport due to the fighting.

“Families are trapped inside and it is difficult leaving as they are coming under airstrikes and bombardment by both parties of the war,” relief worker Saber Wasel told The Associated Press. “It was a hard night for citizens because of the intensity of the strikes and gunfire.”

Security officials and witnesses said Saturday that Houthi rebels had also attacked government forces in al-Faza and al-Gah towns on the western coast over the past two days, killing at least 16 troops and wounding at least 13 others, and cut off the road that links between al-Gah and ad-Durayhimi district, some 12 miles south Hodeida’s airport.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media, and the witnesses for fear of reprisals.

The Houthis seized control of Sanaa in September 2014, later pushing south toward the port city of Aden. The Saudi-led coalition entered the conflict in March 2015 and has faced criticism for a campaign of airstrikes killing civilians and destroying hospitals and markets.

The Houthis meanwhile have laid land mines killing and wounding civilians, targeted religious minorities and imprisoned opponents.

Associated Press writers Maggie Michael and Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report.
Yemen's Shiite rebels say they have given control of the port of Hodeida to the coast guard and local administrators. The Yemeni government disputes this claim.