UN ‘alarmed’ over renewed Yemen violence after drone attack

Dubai: The UN envoy to Yemen said he was “alarmed” over the escalation of violence after a rebel drone attack on the country’s largest airbase killed six loyalist soldiers.

In tweets posted overnight on Thursday, Martin Griffiths urged all parties to Yemen’s protracted conflict to exercise restraint.

The Syiah Houthi rebels said they carried out the strike which hit a military parade at Al-Anad air base, in government-held Lahij province some 60km north of Yemen’s second city Aden. To safety:

Six loyalist soldiers were a drone exploded above Yemen’s al-Anad airbase. — AFP killed and at least 12 people wounded, including top commanders, medics said.

The attack comes as the UN, which brokered several agreements between the rebels and the Saudi-backed government at talks in Sweden last month, is desperately seeking to relaunch negotiations for an end to four years of devastating conflict.

Griffiths tweeted that he was “alarmed by Thursday’s escalation of violence in Yemen”.

He urged “all parties to the conflict to exercise restraint and refrain from further escalation” and to “create a conducive environment to maintain the positive momentum generated” in Sweden.

The UN was hoping last month’s talks in Sweden would help launch formal peace talks between Yemen’s warring parties. — AFP