SANA, 9 April 2020, TON: The Saudi-led coalition, in an announcement on Wednesday declared a “ceasefire” with Yemen. Riyadh announcement came in support of UN efforts to end its five-year conflict, which has killed hundreds. Saudi authorities in  statement on Thursday said that Saudi Arabia is still holding ceasefire in effort to help Yemen in difficult situation. 

Coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki explaining the ceasefire said, the decision has been taken to avoid a potential outbreak of the new coronavirus in Yemen.

The spokesman for Yemeni Armed Forces has categorically dismissed a claim by Saudi-led military coalition that it was observing a two-week ceasefire and suspension of hostilities in its devastating war against Yemen. In a Twitter post on Thursday, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesman for Yemeni Armed Forces said that the Saudi-led forces had stepped up their offensives and attacks across various parts of the country over the past few hours. The Tweet said, “Saudi and Emirati forces have carried out at least five large-scale airstrikes on Yemeni areas near the kingdom's southwestern border region of Najran since the early hours of this morning.” 

A Saudi Arabian officer disclosed that they have not attacked Yemen since the announcement of ceasefire and this has been done by some other country intentionally so that peace should not be restored. Media reports claimed that coalition’s warplanes struck positions at several Yemeni regions, including Al-Bayda and Sa’ada, Amran. Other media reports said, Yemeni army forces and their allies fired US ballistic missiles at their camp in the southern Yemeni provinces of Abyan.

The UN says over 24 million Yemenis are in dire need of humanitarian aid, including 10 million suffering from extreme levels of hunger.