SANAA, Yemen: Violence subsided Sunday in Yemen, a day after the start of a 48-hour cease-fire declared by the Saudi-led Arab coalition helping government forces in battling rebel fighters for almost 20 months.
An AFP correspondent in Sanaa said there had not been any air strikes in the rebel-held capital by warplanes of the coalition since the cease-fire entered into effect at midday (0900 GMT) on Saturday.
The flashpoint southwestern city of Taiz was also calm after fierce clashes on Saturday between government forces and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels and their allies of renegade troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, a military official said.
The official spoke of “limited exchange of fire” in the city where heavy gunbattles this week killed dozens of people.
Meanwhile, the coalition said its air defenses destroyed three ballistic missiles fired at dawn by the Shiite rebels at Marib province, east of Sanaa, a military official said.
Riyadh-based coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Ahmed Assiri accused the Iran-backed rebels of 180 violations of the truce in 10 hours after it took effect.
He said 150 breaches took place in Yemen, while 30 others were along the northern border with Saudi Arabia, according to Al-Jazeera news network.
The cease-fire comes after US Secretary of State John Kerry this week met rebel representatives in Oman and also urged the government to come on board.
More than 7,000 people have been killed in Yemen and nearly 37,000 wounded since the coalition intervention began in March last year, the UN says.
An AFP correspondent in Sanaa said there had not been any air strikes in the rebel-held capital by warplanes of the coalition since the cease-fire entered into effect at midday (0900 GMT) on Saturday.
The flashpoint southwestern city of Taiz was also calm after fierce clashes on Saturday between government forces and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels and their allies of renegade troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, a military official said.
The official spoke of “limited exchange of fire” in the city where heavy gunbattles this week killed dozens of people.
Meanwhile, the coalition said its air defenses destroyed three ballistic missiles fired at dawn by the Shiite rebels at Marib province, east of Sanaa, a military official said.
Riyadh-based coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Ahmed Assiri accused the Iran-backed rebels of 180 violations of the truce in 10 hours after it took effect.
He said 150 breaches took place in Yemen, while 30 others were along the northern border with Saudi Arabia, according to Al-Jazeera news network.
The cease-fire comes after US Secretary of State John Kerry this week met rebel representatives in Oman and also urged the government to come on board.
More than 7,000 people have been killed in Yemen and nearly 37,000 wounded since the coalition intervention began in March last year, the UN says.
