Saudi-led coalition denies carrying out airstrikes in Yemen

SANAA, Yemen (AA) – The Saudi-led coalition on Wednesday denied rebel accusations of carrying out airstrikes in war-torn Yemen.

On Tuesday, Houthi rebels accused the coalition of launching airstrikes in the southwestern Dhale province.

A coalition statement, however, termed the rebel accusations as “baseless”, saying it has halted its attacks in Yemen with the enforcement of a UN-brokered truce in the country.

The coalition said it backs “all measures aimed at consolidating the truce between the Yemeni parties.”

On June 2, Yemen’s warring rivals agreed to extend the UN-brokered truce for two additional months. Under the ceasefire, which was first reached on April 2, all military operations were halted. The agreement also allowed the operation of commercial flights from rebel-held Sanaa Airport in the Yemeni capital.

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iran-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including Sanaa. The Houthis remain in control of the capital, as well as wide swathes of territory, despite a military campaign conducted by Saudi Arabia and its Gulf Arab allies since 2015 aimed at ousting them and restoring the Yemeni government.

The Saudi-led campaign has exacerbated an already dire humanitarian situation in the war-torn nation. Millions suffer from hunger amid persistent famine-like conditions.

*Ikram Imane Kouachi in Ankara contributed to this report.