The Iran-backed Houthi militias have committed 1,230 violations of the two-month nationwide truce in Yemen that was declared by the United Nations earlier this month.
UN envoy Hans Grundberg was in Sanaa for talks with Houthi officials in an attempt to consolidate the truce and persuade them to joint peace consultations.
This marks the first time he visits the Houthi-held Yemeni capital since his appointment in September. The militias had refused to meet with him before the lifting of restrictions on fuel ships and reopening of Sanaa international airport.
Houthi media reported that Grundberg kicked of his visit by meeting with the foreign minister of the militias' illegitimate government, Hisham Sharaf, and the Houthi official in charge of the prisoner file, Abdulkader Mortada.
Even as the envoy attempted to persuade the militias to join peace talks, he was met with their same demands over the reopening of Sanaa airport, lifting all curbs on Hodeidah port and the payment of salaries in Houthi-held regions. The legitimate government believes these demands, if they are fulfilled, will help the Houthis prolong the war and smuggle Iranian weapons.
Meanwhile, Yemeni military spokesman Abdo Majali revealed that the Houthis have committed 1,230 violations of the truce since its announcement.
Speaking at a press briefing on field developments, he said the militias have committed the violations on all battlefronts in the Marib, Taiz, Hajjah, Dhale and Saada provinces.
He stressed that the national army was fully committed to the UN ceasefire and orders of the military and political leaderships, while the Houthis continue their escalations and breaches.
The violations ranged from the amassing of forces, artillery attacks on the military, the deployment of snipers and the flying of armed drone attacks.
Majali accused the Houthis of bringing in more reinforcements to battlefronts in southern Marib. He revealed that they have already sent over 40 military vehicles.
The Houthis also fired a ballistic missile in the province that left material damage on civilian property.
In Taiz, the military confirmed 342 violations, including the firing of mortar and artillery shells on residential areas adjacent to army bases, the deployment of snipers, and bringing in more reinforcements.
Majali added that the army returned fire against the Houthis when it came under attack.
Elsewhere, the Houthis committed 305 truce violations in Hajjah, 156 in Hodeidah, 100 in al-Jawf, 61 in Dhaleh and 40 in Saada.
