Saudi-led coalition sinks boats carrying arms to Yemen Houthis

Rebels suffer major defeat as weapons are destroyed and major route for supplies and reinforcement in Taez is captured.

Militants loyal to Yemen's government patrol a road in the country's southern port city of Aden as the Saudi-led coalition helps the government flush out Houthi rebels elsewhere in Yemen. October 19, Show more

ADEN // Coalition forces fighting to restore Yemen’s internationally recognised government yesterday said that they had destroyed boats smuggling weapons to the Houthi rebels.

And forces supporting the government of president Abdrabu Mansur Hadi yesterday captured the main road connecting Taez province with the port of Al Hodeidah, near where the weapons boats were destroyed.

The port is the only one under Houthi control.

Last month, coalition forces said that they had confiscated an Iranian boat in the Arabian Sea and found it was carrying weapons.

The Iran-backed rebels had used the captured highway as a major supply and reinforcement route.

The two sides are now locked in street battles in Taez city, besieged by the Houthis, and heavy fighting along the Red Sea coast of Taez province.

At least 11 people were killed and 33 wounded in the central city over Monday night, including women, children and the elderly, as the rebels shelled residential areas.

Twenty-eight rebels have died in 24 hours of clashes and coalition air strikes, and seven pro-government fighters were also killed in the battles, said Hashem Al Sufi, a commander of pro-government forces in Taez.

Aref Al Samei, a leading member of the Popular Resistance in Al Dhubab, Taez, said the Houthis were supported in the battle for the province by reinforcements who arrived in the past week.

“When we learnt that reinforcements reached the Houthis from Al Hodeidah, we took over the main road that connects Al Hodeidah with Taez,” Mr Al Samei said.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia said it would like to see a ceasefire in Yemen to allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid, but could not trust the Houthi rebels to abide by it.

“From our previous experience the ceasefire was not acknowledged and it was violated,” said Abdullah Al Rabeeah, supervisor of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre.

“If there is a ceasefire it has to be a realistic ceasefire.”

Several attempts at a humanitarian truce have failed.

* With reporting from Reuters, Agence France-Presse