Yemeni forces in full control of Mocha

Al Houthis used civilians as human shields, UN says

Yemeni forces took full control of the Red Sea coastal town of Mocha yesterday after weeks of deadly fighting with Shiite rebels and their allies, a spokesman said.

“We have done with the Battle of Mocha,” armed forces spokesman Mohammad Al Naqib said. Another government military source confirmed that government forces were in “full control”.

“We now are preparing for the second phase of the battle for the coast, which is to advance towards Hodeida,” the army spokesman said.

Meanwhile, worrying reports have emerged about how the Al Houthi rebels used civilians as human shields in the fighting in Mocha.

Credible reports indicate that Al Houthi-affiliated snipers shot at families attempting to flee their homes — suggesting the use of civilians as human shields,’’ Rupert Colville, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said yesterday in Yemen.