Yemen Pro-Govt Forces Seize Hodeida Airport from Rebels

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Emitari-backed Yemeni government forces seized Hodeida airport from Huthi rebels on Wednesday, the coalition said, in a major step towards retaking the key Red Sea port city.

"The airport was completely cleared, Thank God, and is under control," coalition commander for the Red Sea coast, Abdul Salaam al-Shehi, said in a video posted by the United Arab Emirates' official WAM news agency.

Last Wednesday, government forces launched an offensive to clear Hodeida of rebel fighters who have held it since 2014, raising UN concerns for vital aid shipments and commercial food imports through the city's docks.

The airport is disused but housed a major rebel base just inland from the coast road into the city from the south.

It lies just eight kilometres (five miles) from the city's port, through which three-quarters of Yemen's imports pass, providing a lifeline for some 22 million people dependent on aid. 

UN envoy Martin Griffiths held four days of talks in the rebel-held capital Sanaa in a bid to avert an all-out battle for the city but flew out on Tuesday without announcing any breakthrough.

The United Arab Emirates and other members of a Saudi-led coalition that intervened in support of the government in 2015 have accused regional arch foe Iran of using Hodeida as conduit for arms smuggling to the rebels. Tehran has denied the allegation.

Comments 11
Thumb EagleDawn 20 June 2018, 10:32

"Southern......... (aka Patriotic)
Glad the war (in Yemen) is going in the right direction"

Thumb Mystic 20 June 2018, 11:08

The airport was not operational to begin with. Let's see how you deal with street to Street combat.

Thumb galaxy 20 June 2018, 11:25

We all saw your battle hardened terrorists in street combat in Syria. They were annihilated and exterminated. Just ask Lavrov ya irani;)

Thumb doodle-dude 20 June 2018, 16:07

you remind me of the_roar, the shia billionaire who trots the globe on his private jet following the Formula 1 circuit and has inside information on any topic that no one else has.

Thumb galaxy 20 June 2018, 10:38

lol @ Agence France Presse calling these iranian shia terrorists 'Rebels'.

Anyway, according to terrorist Al Manar the advancing forces were ambushed and are now surrounded and soon will surrender to the mujahideen of Al Husi.

Thumb Mystic 20 June 2018, 11:08

They are neither. They are the government forces of Yemen

Thumb galaxy 20 June 2018, 11:23

in your iranian shia eyes, hezbollah is the government of Lebanon.
gtfo!

Thumb Mystic 20 June 2018, 12:24

Not my eyes, but in the cabinets eyes yes.

Live with it, or die with it. Or continue to cry in the West about it.

Thumb marcus 20 June 2018, 11:46

The end of the iranian terrorists in Yemen is just around the corner.

Thumb roflmfao 20 June 2018, 16:11

It's a strange phenomena. Mystic seem to only comment when Iran's mercenaries are involved. Almost never on Lebanese affairs unless it involves the local chapter of Iran's mercenaries. He reminds of the Syrian who used to claim to be Lebanese but only commented on stories about the Syrian regime. I wonder if he gets his passport stamped when he enters Lebanon, do you Mystic?

Thumb doodle-dude 20 June 2018, 16:24

most shias consider themselves Iranian before anything else.