Smoke and the stench of bombs filled the skies over Yemen again Sunday as a five-day humanitarian cease fire ended. Saudi-led coaltion airstrikes resumed in four Aden districts, according to Ali al-Halemi, a security official in Aden, and another official who did not want to be named. There was also confirmation from two activists, Basem Al-Sultan and Abdulaziz al-Shuaibi. All four of those who confirmed the airstrikes were in different districts of Aden.
The airstrikes targeted Yemeni Houthis battling coaltion forces on the ground. The cease fire ended at 11 pm local time Sunday (4 pm ET). There has been no word of death or injuries yet from the renewed airstrikes. No airstrikes have been witnessed in Sana’a, Yeman’s capital.
Yemeni President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi — speaking in Saudi Arabia at the Riyadh Conference for Saving Yemen — promised his country would survive the unrest.
“We promise you, despite all of this, that the breakthrough and victory will be soon,” he said, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency. ” …it hurts us to see our country under siege of a coup by militias and their supporters.”
Brig. Gen. Ahmed Asiri, Saudi-led coalition spokesman, told CNN Saturday that no longer-term cease fire had been reached, and all options would still be on the table when the cease fire ended.
During the cease fire the International Committee of the Red Cross said it continued to provide fuel, water and electricity to people in Aden as well as medical supplies to hospitals in Aden and other areas.
Adnan Hizam, Red Cross spokesman in Sana’a, said with the support of the Red Cross, the Yemen Red Crescent Society was also able to transfer the wounded to hospitals and retrieve dead bodies in Taiz.