Saudi-backed forces begin assault at Yemen port

Sanaa, June 13: Saudi-backed government forces on Wednesday began an assault on the key Yemeni port of Hudaydah, which is held by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. The bombing started after the rebels ignored a deadline set by the government of President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi to withdraw by Tuesday midnight, the BBC reported. The “liberation” of Hudaydah began with a large-scale ground assault supported by air and naval cover from a Saudi-led multinational coalition. Coalition warplanes and warships carried out strikes against rebel positions around the city, the BBC reported citing Saudi’s Al Arabiya network. “The liberation of Hudaydah port is a turning point in our struggle to recapture Yemen from the militias that hijacked it to serve foreign agendas,” a government statement said. (IANS)