Aden in Yemeni control

This item appears on page 16 of the September 2015 issue.

In southwestern Yemen in July, most of the port city of Aden was retaken from Houthi rebels by armed forces loyal to the Yemeni government and backed by Saudi-led coalition troops. At press time, sporadic fighting continued. 

On July 16, some Yemeni government officials returned to Aden under orders of President Abdrabbuh Monsour Hadi, who remains in exile in Saudi Arabia.

On July 19, Houthi rebels shelled a civilian area of Aden, killing at least 42 people and injuring more than a hundred. 

Artillery shelling against Houthi positions was reported in the town of Taiz on July 26, the first day of a 5-day cease-fire that was announced by the Saudi-led coalition to allow humanitarian aid to be taken into Yemen. There were no reports of casualties from the shelling. Pro-government Yemeni forces are believed to be responsible.

The Houthi, a Shia sect from northern Yemen, had held Aden since late March. Houthi forces still control the nation’s capital, Sana’a. Since the beginning of 2015, more than 3,200 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the uprising in Yemen.