The Command of Coalition Forces to Support Legitimacy in Yemen declared a 48-hour ceasefire starting at noon (0900 GMT) Saturday. The ceasefire can be extended if Houthi militias and forces loyal to them abide by the truce, including allowing the entry of humanitarian aid to besieged areas, particularly Taiz City, and lifting the siege imposed on it. The coalition underlined that the ceasefire came at the request of Yemeni President Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi, who sent a message in this regard to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman "in response to UN and international efforts to bring peace to Yemen" and allow aid deliveries, it said in statement. However, air and maritime inspection will continue during the ceasefire period as well as aerial reconnaissance for any movements of the Houthi militias and forces loyal to them, the statement said. It also demanded that the rebels send representatives to a monitoring committee provided for under a previous, abortive ceasefire. That committee is to meet just across the border in Saudi Arabia in Dhahran Aljanoub. However, hours before the ceasefire began, a soldier in Asir region was killed by a missile fired by the Houthis, the Interior Ministry said, the type of cross-border attack that the Saudis insist must stop. Any "military movements" by Houthi forces will be "addressed by the coalition", said the statement. Meanwhile, Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed Obaid Bin Dhagr praised coordination mechanisms of Arab coalition forces to support the legitimacy of Yemen to consolidate security and stability in the liberated provinces. This came during his visit to the headquarters of the Arab coalition forces to support the legitimate province of Marib in Yemen. — Agencies
