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A10 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 29 augusT 2019
Yemeni government forces push into key port city of Aden

By AHMED AL-HAJ ciliation talks in Saudi Ara-
SAMY MAGDY bia, the officials said.
Associated Press But later, security officials
SANAA, Yemen (AP) — said the Saudi-led coali-
Forces loyal to Yemen's tion carried out an airstrike
internationally recog- close to a military camp in
nized government pushed Aden's Dar Saad district.
Wednesday into the key Witnesses said a bus in the
port city of Aden after area was hit, killing an un-
wresting control of another known number of civilians.
southern provincial capital Another airstrike hit an un-
from separatists backed by identified target in eastern
the United Arab Emirates, Aden, the officials said.
officials and local residents They said the coalition has
said. warned both sides that it
Government troops also will strike either side moving
retook the international air- on the ground.
port in Aden, a main hub The officials spoke on condi-
for the southern part of the tion of anonymity because
country, Yemen's informa- In this frame grab from video provided by Yemen Today, Yemeni army vehicles enter Zinjibar, they were not authorized
tion minister said. Many Yemen, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019. to brief media, while the
predicted the city would Associated Press witnesses demanded ano-
fall back into government nymity for fear of reprisals.
hands within hours. Belt, out of the city of Zinji- the eastern district of Khor Hadi's supporters were In a 48-second audio mes-
The rapid advance by bar, the capital of southern Maksar, and then moved seen in videos online danc- sage, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, a
government forces under- Abyan province, following to the neighborhood of ing in the streets of Zinjibar former Aden governor who
scored the seesaw nature clashes that left at least Crater in Aden where the and Aden, and welcoming leads the Southern Transi-
of the fighting between one dead and 30 wound- presidential palace is lo- government forces. Videos tional Council, called on his
the two ostensible allies in ed fighters. The separatists cated, the officials said. showing Hadi's forces on forces to resist. He said the
the conflict. Only weeks had seized Zinjibar earlier Saudi Arabia and Emirati streets of Khor Maksar car- separatists have fought a
before, the separatists had this month. forces have guarded the rying machine guns and "battle of fate against ter-
gained much territory in Retreating from Zinjibar, the palace since the separat- cheering to prove they re- rorism and extremism."
southern Yemen, pushing separatist fled to nearby ists pushed the presidential claimed. His deputy Hani Bin Braik,
government forces out of Aden province, which they guards out of the city. Local residents said the former Cabinet minister,
strategic cities and areas. had taken from forces of Information Minister Moam- UAE-backed separatists also tweeted Wednesday
The fighting between the Saudi-backed President mar al-Iryani said govern- fled to nearby Lahij and that "Aden is OK." He said
two sides has added an- Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi ment forces reclaimed Dhale provinces. separatist forces "are pour-
other layer to the complex earlier this month, the offi- Aden's airport. "National Security officials said the ing in for the great battle
civil war in the Arab world's cials said. army forces entered Aden separatists still controlled of dignity." The latest push
most impoverished coun- Government forces then airport and have taken full Jabal al-Hadid military by Hadi's government
try, a war pitting a Saudi- continued their push to re- control of the main gate camp, one of the main mili- came days after the Saudi-
led coalition backing the take the city of Aden, which of the airport amid public tary facilities Aden. The Se- led coalition called for a
government against the has functioned as the seat celebration and joy," he curity Belt militia were also cease-fire and invited both
Houthi rebels who control of Hadi's government since tweeted. still in their camps in Aden. sides to reconciliation talks
the country's north. the Iran-backed Houthi "The return of the state to Saudi officers were work- in Saudi Arabia. The coali-
Earlier in the day, govern- rebels captured Sanaa, Ye- Aden is a victory for the ing with both sides to avoid tion also urged the sepa-
ment forces pushed the men's capital, and much of people," said Maeen Ab- fighting in the densely pop- ratists to withdraw from all
UAE-backed separatist mi- the north in 2014. dulmalik Saeed, Yemen's ulated areas and convince government buildings and
litia, known as the Security Hadi's forces first reclaimed prime minister. them to attend the recon- military bases.q

Airstrikes in Syria's Idlib hit near Turkish military post

Associated Press Rights said the airstrikes tar- qeb are among the main
BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian gov- geted the town of Maaret towns in Idlib that sit on
ernment warplanes struck al-Numan and villages near the highway that links the
towns and villages Wednes- it, with one hitting close to capital of Damascus with
day in the northwestern one of Turkey's 12 observa- the northern city of Aleppo,
province of Idlib, including tion posts in Idlib. Syria's largest. Syrian troops
one near a Turkish observa- The Syrian Civil Defense said captured last week the
tion post, opposition activ- another airstrike hit a mar- town of Khan Sheikhoun,
ists said. ket in the town of Sarqeb, which also sits on the high-
The intense airstrikes came wounding eight people. way.
a day after insurgents A government offensive Government forces are try-
launched counterattacks that began on April 30 has ing to eventually open the
on the edges of Idlib, near killed more than 2,000 peo- highway in what would cut

This photo released by the opposition Syrian Civil Defense res- areas that were recently ple and displaced half a the trip between the coun-
cue group shows a civil defense worker inspecting destroyed captured by government million. Many have fled fur- try's two largest cities by
buildings after airstrikes hit the town of Jarjnas, in Idlib province, forces. ther north toward the bor- two hours as drivers now
Syria. The Britain-based Syr- der with Turkey. have to take a longer and
Associated Press ian Observatory for Human Maaret al-Numan and Sar- narrower desert road.q