A military source in Aden informed Sky News Arabia that five members of the Southern forces were killed early Wednesday while repelling a Houthi infiltration attempt in the Karsh front of Lahij province in southern Yemen.
Later, the death toll among the Southern forces rose to 12.
This Houthi attack marks the largest since the start of the UN-brokered ceasefire in Yemen.
The source clarified that the fierce clashes resulted in losses for the Houthis in both equipment and personnel, prompting their withdrawal from the attempted infiltration sites.
These events unfold amidst ongoing tensions in conflict areas between the Southern forces and Houthi militias, underscoring the escalating violence and conflict in the region despite international warnings about its severe implications for regional peace and security.
In a related context, the Yemeni Presidential Council, in a statement published by the Saba news agency, accused the Iran-backed Houthi militias of committing over 24,000 violations of the UN-brokered ceasefire unilaterally.
This clash coincides with the beginning of a tour by US envoy Tim Lenderking, which includes Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman, to discuss halting Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
These developments are expected to cast shadows over peace efforts in Yemen, complicating the mission of the UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, in reaching a comprehensive peace agreement.
