Yemen’s army achieve notable advance in southern area of Taiz

Yemeni city of Taiz witnessed a large number of clashes during the recent hours in different areas between the Yemeni army and Houthi militias, as World Health Organization warned of the increasing number of people who suffer from Cholera, saying that it could reach to over 300 thousand persons.

Yemeni government forces backed by Saudi-led fighter jets seized control of a military camp in the southern city of Taiz as other forces are now engaging in fierce battles with Iran-backed Al Houthis inside the city’s presidential palace, army commanders and residents said on Monday.

Brigadier General Abdo Abdullah Majili, a Yemeni army spokesperson, told Gulf News that government forces secured their grip on Al Tashrefat military camp north of Taiz and began defusing a large number of landmines planted by the fleeing Al Houthis. “By taking control of Al Tashrefat military camp, the national army forces would be able to cut military reinforcements to Al Houthi fighters in different locations.”

Description: http://wtf2.forkcdn.com/www/delivery/lg.php?bannerid=0&campaignid=0&zoneid=2360&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fgulfnews.com%2Fnews%2Fgulf%2Fyemen%2Fyemen-army-storms-military-camp-in-taiz-1.2038909&referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com.eg%2F&cb=3912ebcc15Shortly after storming the camp, government forces staged two simultaneous attacks on Al Houthi-held Special Security Forces camp and some parts of the presidential palace compound that are remained under Al Houthi fighters’ control. Majili said that fighting raged on Monday inside the presidential palace where some Al Houthi fighters were hiding, adding that the rebel forces had sent military vehicles and new fighters to Taiz to reinforce their besieged troops. “Government forces seizure of Al Tashrefat military camp would help in winning the battle in the presidential palace,” Majili said. The camp is close to the presidential palace.

On the other hand, Cholera cases in Yemen could quadruple in the next month to 300,000, the regional director of Unicef said Friday, calling the spread of the disease in the war-ravaged country “incredibly dire.”

Speaking by phone after visiting Yemen, the agency’s regional director, Geert Cappelaere, said he had never seen a cholera outbreak of that size in the country, which already is contending with the risk of a famine and a collapse of the health care system because of the war.

Half the cholera cases in Yemen belong to children, Mr. Cappelaere said, and parents have little recourse because many hospitals and clinics are closed or lack supplies.

Mr. Cappelaere, who was named Unicef’s director for the Middle East and North Africa last year, worked for the agency in Yemen from 2009 to 2012. This was his first trip since then back to the country, poorest in the Arab world.