Tree trunk shaped explosives seized in Yemen

Cairo: Yemeni government forces have seized explosives planted by Iran-aligned Al Houthi militants in palm plantations near the coastal city of Hodeida, military sources said on Sunday

The pro-government forces, known as the Giants Battalions, said the explosives were made by Al Houthis based on Iranian expertise.

The explosives took the shape of tree trunks. Engineers linked to the forces defused the explosives, they added.

Al Houthis have planted hundreds of thousands of landmines and explosives in Yemen’s west coast to hamper the government forces’ advance in the region, resulting in civilian deaths.

The extremists also used an Iranian-made ballistic missile to hit the Al Manther area in Hodeida. The act was in response to locals’ opposition to the presence of the radical militias in the area.

Al Houthis have been repeatedly accused of using civilians as human shields in Yemen’s war, which has gone on for more than three years.

Hodeida is strategically important because of its harbour, which is a lifeline for millions of Yemenis, as most of the commercial imports and relief supplies enter through it.

In recent weeks, government forces, supported by a Saudi-led coalition, have intensified their bombardment of Al Houthi rebels in and around Hodeida, which has been under the militants’ control since October 2014.

The coalition accuses Al Houthis of taking advantage of their control of the Hodeida port to obtain weapons from their Iranian patrons as well as confiscate aid intended for Yemenis in order to sustain their war efforts.

In March 2015, the Saudi-led alliance intervened in Yemen at its internationally recognised government’s request after Al Houthis advanced on the southern city of Aden, the country’s temporary capital after the rebels seized the capital Sana’a months earlier.

In recent months, Adan has seen a series of attacks targeting officials and clergymen.

Unknown gunmen on Sunday shot dead a senior security official in Adan, Yemeni media reported.

The assailants opened fire at Col Fadl Sael, the chief of the drug-combat department in the port city, local witnesses said. Sael and two escorts were immediately killed. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.