Saudi Arabia Continues to Breach Yemen Truce, Seizes Yemen-Bound Fuel Ship 

By Staff, Agencies 

In flagrant breach of UN-brokered ceasefire, the Saudi-led coalition forces have impounded an oil tanker bound for Yemen. 

The Force Power tanker, which was due to dock at Yemen’s western port of Hudaydah, was carrying 22,915 tons of mazut and 7,296 tons of diesel fuel.

According to the spokesman for the Yemeni National Oil Company, Essam al-Mutawakil, “The ship was confiscated despite being inspected and cleared for the port by the United Nations staff.”

He further noted that the Saudi-led coalition is brazenly pressing ahead with its acts of piracy against fuel tankers carrying oil derivatives to Yemen.

Additionally, a Yemeni military official said the Saudi-led coalition forces and their allied militants have violated the ongoing UN-brokered ceasefire at least 85 times during the past 24 hours.

The official, who asked not to be named, told Yemen’s official Saba news agency that the violations included flights of Saudi-led reconnaissance aircraft in the skies of the Hays district in Hudaydah province as well as the Maqbanah district of the southern province of Ta’izz.

Thousands of people took to the streets in Yemen’s northwestern city of Sa’ada and elsewhere on Friday to condemn the Saudi-led coalition’s military aggression and brutal siege on the Arab country.

He added that residential buildings in addition to positions of the Yemeni army and Popular Committees also came under artillery shelling in various regions.

Moreover, Saudi-led coalition forces and their allied Takfiri militants established new combat fortifications in al-Jabaliya, Hays and Maqbana areas.

Separately, a high-ranking Yemeni military official called upon the Saudi-led coalition to take advantage of the available opportunity following the extension of the UN-backed ceasefire.

“The extension of the ceasefire is an opportunity that the other side should take up to show a gesture of goodwill, and implement the provisions of the ceasefire that were previously overlooked,” Brigadier General Yahya Abdullah al-Razami stated.

He added, “Sana’a puts emphasis on the full implementation of the ceasefire without any shortcomings, in a way that would provide security and stability and bring about a just and honorable peace to all Yemenis.”

“We expect the other side to have a clear vision this time, and demonstrate more seriousness to advance this important step,” Razami stated.

Yemen’s initial two-month truce started at the beginning of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan on April 2, and was set to expire last Thursday.