The UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs has called for more international pressure on Yemen's Houthi rebels after a drone attack on government troops on Thursday that killed three soldiers and wounded high-ranking officers.
The "murderous drone attack tells you everything you need about the Houthis. Peace negotiations are a tactic to them, not a commitment," Dr Anwar Gargash tweeted.
"464 ceasefire violations, 36 killed & 318 wounded since Stockholm agreement. The international community must increase pressure," he said, blaming the Houthis for the slow progress of peace efforts.
Three soldiers were killed and four senior officers were among 20 others injured when the rebels detonated a drone above a military parade at Al Anad in base Lahj province. One of the wounded officers, intelligence chief Brig Mohammed Saleh Tammah, was recovering on Friday after undergoing an operation to remove shrapnel from his body, a source told The National.
The Yemeni government has ordered a high-level investigation into the attack, which ministers said was carried out with assistance from the rebels' ally Iran.
The UN special envoy for Yemen appealed for "restraint" after the attack and said he was alarmed by the "escalation of violence in Yemen".
In tweets posted overnight on Thursday, Martin Griffiths 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" at peace talks in Sweden last month.
The attack came a day after Mr Griffiths told the UN security Council that a three-week-old ceasefire agreement for Hodeidah province and its ports was largely holding, despite repeated rebel violations reported by the government and the Arab Coalition.
The ceasefire calls for the rebels to first withdraw from Hodeidah's three ports through which the bulk of Yemen's humanitarian and food shipments arrive, and for forces from both sides to then pull out of the city and cease fighting in the surrounding province. A team of UN monitors arrived in the city on December 23 but there has been no confirmed progress in implementing the ceasefire.
The pro-government Al Amalikah Brigades reported another rebel attack south of Hoideidah on Thursday.
Captain Fadel Hudyan, a commander in the Amalikah 12th Brigade, said the rebels had attempted to break into the Jabalia area in Tuhaiyta district but were repelled.
"The Houthi militia have launched many attempts to take over Al Jabalia in a bid to cut the main supply route in the area, but all the attempts were doomed to failure," Capt Hudyan told The National.
Thursday's drone attack is likely to pose a setback to UN efforts to launch formal peace talks to end four years of devastating conflict that have left millions of Yemenis dependent on humanitarian aid to survive.
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Read more:
Mike Pompeo announces international summit on Middle East security and Iran's threat
UN Yemen envoy hints peace talks could be delayed
UAE says UN must hold Houthis to peace commitments in Yemen
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Lowest Test scores
26 - New Zealand v England at Auckland, March 1955
30 - South Africa v England at Port Elizabeth, Feb 1896
30 - South Africa v England at Birmingham, June 1924
35 - South Africa v England at Cape Town, April 1899
36 - South Africa v Australia at Melbourne, Feb. 1932
36 - Australia v England at Birmingham, May 1902
36 - India v Australia at Adelaide, Dec. 2020
38 - Ireland v England at Lord's, July 2019
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Asia Cup 2018 final
Who: India v Bangladesh
When: Friday, 3.30pm, Dubai International Stadium
Watch: Live on OSN Cricket HD
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 300 Cabriolet
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Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
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Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
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A foster couple or family must:
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Norwich 0
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Red card: Christian Kabasele (WatforD)
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Emirate: Dubai
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Sanju
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Date of Birth: April 25, 1993
Place of Birth: Dubai, UAE
Marital Status: Single
School: Al Sufouh in Jumeirah, Dubai
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MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')
Liverpool 1 (Lallana 84')
Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
Spec%20sheet
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UAE SQUAD FOR ASIAN JIU-JITSU CHAMPIONSHIP
Men’s squad: Faisal Al Ketbi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Kathiri, Thiab Al Nuaimi, Khaled Al Shehhi, Mohamed Ali Al Suwaidi, Farraj Khaled Al Awlaqi, Muhammad Al Ameri, Mahdi Al Awlaqi, Saeed Al Qubaisi, Abdullah Al Qubaisi and Hazaa Farhan
Women's squad: Hamda Al Shekheili, Shouq Al Dhanhani, Balqis Abdullah, Sharifa Al Namani, Asma Al Hosani, Maitha Sultan, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Maha Al Hanaei, Shamma Al Kalbani, Haya Al Jahuri, Mahra Mahfouz, Marwa Al Hosani, Tasneem Al Jahoori and Maryam Al Amri