Houthi attack on Taiz governor tantamount to sabotaging ‘peace efforts’: Yemeni govt

ISLAMABAD: The Yemeni government on Monday said the Houthi militia’s attack on Taiz Governor Nabil Shamsan in the region of al-Qadah with a missile, mortars and artillery shells amid the UN-led efforts to reach a political settlement to end the war is tantamount to sabotaging ‘peace efforts’.

It is the first major attack by Houthi militia in the wake of China-brokered truce between Saudi Arabia and Iran earlier this month.

The diplomatic observers view it as a ‘blow’ to the peace initiative. A Yemini official said the Houthi militia is exploiting the United Nations and global community’s peace initiatives by intensifying terrorist onslaughts against civilians which further diminishes prospects for political settlement.

He said it would be a litmus test for the UN and international community to stop Houthi attacks, which can be made possible through concrete actions as mere condemnations are not enough.

The official further said the political leadership and government won’t sit calm on the Houthi attacks and their endeavors to further prolong the war and pile up the Yemeni peoples’ ordeals.

He said the restoration of the state’s institutions and elimination of the coup in accordance with internationally agreed terms is the only way forward to counter the dangers of this militia at national, regional and international levels.