Yemen’s Hodeida calm after ceasefire takes effect

SANAA: Yemen's flashpoint city of Hodeida was calm on Tuesday following heavy clashes that erupted after a UN-brokered ceasefire started at midnight, pro-government sources and residents said.

The truce agreed at the UN-sponsored peace talks in Sweden came into effect at midnight Monday, but sources said heavy clashes and air raids continued after the deadline. "There has been complete calm since 03:00 am Yemen time (1200 GMT) in the city of Hodeida," a military source loyal to the government told AFP on Tuesday.

Residents confirmed by phone that there has been no fighting between the government forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition and Iran-aligned Huthi rebels since 03:00 am. But it was not possible to determine if the halt in fighting was in response to the ceasefire or just a temporary stoppage.

Residents said that daily fighting would usually be fierce in the evening and at night, before coming to a standstill at dawn. The two warring sides have however welcomed the truce in the strategic Red Sea province.

Both the internationally-recognised government and the Huthi rebels said they would comply with the ceasefire. The United Nations said on Monday that the deal was to be implemented at midnight, even though the agreement reached in Sweden last week included an "immediate ceasefire" in Hodeida and its surroundings.

A UN official, who requested anonymity, told AFP that the delay was necessary for "operational reasons". A team including members of Yemen's warring sides will be dispatched within a day to monitor a truce deal in Hodeida city, a United Nations official said Tuesday.

"The Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC) is expected to start its work within the next 24 hours," the official, who requested anonymity, told AFP. The RCC includes members of the Saudi-backed government and the Iran-aligned Huthi rebels but is chaired by the United Nations.

"Both parties said publicly they are abiding by the ceasefire," the UN official said. The observers are due to oversee the implementation of the truce, the withdrawal of both warring parties from Hodeida city and the pullout of Huthis from its major ports. The committee chair is expected to report to the UN Security Council on a weekly basis.