Military camp in Yemen’s besieged Taiz liberated

An eastern neighborhood which includes al-Mkelkl military camp in the besieged city of Taiz has been liberated on Friday from the Iran-backed Houthi militia group, a resident and Al Arabiya News Channel's correspondent reported.

Forces loyal to the internationally recognized government of President Abed Rabbu Hadi with the backing from the Saudi-led Arab Coalition freed Sala neighborhood, Mohamed al-Muntasir, a local resident, told Al Arabiya English.

Muntasir said the advancement of Yemeni forces into the militia controlled areas has been “delicately slow due to the congestion of residential areas and the mountainous area.”

The southwestern city of Taiz is located between the Houthi-held capital Sanaa and the southern port city of Aden, which Hadi loyalists had recaptured from the militia group.

An activist who spoke under the condition of anonymity told Al Arabiya English that Houthis began to randomly shell residential areas on Thursday after losing several strategic positions in the western parts of Taiz.

Taiz has plunged into a serious humanitarian crisis after suffering months-long siege under the Houthis with the United Nations warning over the lack of food and medical supplies.

Last week the Arab Coalition resumed its Operation Restoring Hope against the Houthis and their allies loyal to deposed Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh after UN-sponsored peace talks in Kuwait ended without an agreement.

The fighting has caused more than 6,400 people to be killed - half of them civilians.