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Members of the Yemeni pro-government forces gather at the eastern entrance of the port city of Hodeida on December 30, 2018. Image Credit: AFP

Hodeida- Clashes erupted between the Iran-allied Al Houthi militia and government forces in Yemen’s flashpoint port city of Hodeida on Saturday, dealing a new blow to a fragile truce, an AFP correspondent reported.

Artillery and machine-gun exchanges rocked the southern part of Hodeida in early morning before tapering off later in day, the correspondent said.

The militia-held port city, which is a lifeline for the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid, was for months the main front line in the Yemeni conflict after government forces supported by Saudi Arabia and its allies launched an offensive to capture it in June.

But last month the warring parties agreed a ceasefire for Hodeida during UN-sponsored talks in Sweden.

The United Nations has said the truce has largely held since it came into force on December 18 but there have been delays in the agreed pullback of militia and government forces.

The Al Houthis control most of Hodeida while government forces are deployed on its southern and eastern outskirts.

Meanwhile, a proposed UN resolution would establish a United Nations political mission to oversee implementation of a ceasefire and the withdrawal of rival forces from Yemen’s key port of Hodeida.

The British-drafted resolution, obtained Friday by The Associated Press, would approve Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ proposal for up to 75 UN monitors to be deployed for an initial period of six months.

The draft resolution says the monitors would oversee the ceasefire in Hodeida and the surrounding area, demining operations at Hodeida and the smaller ports of Salif and Ras Eisa, and the redeployment of forces. They would also work with Yemen’s government and Al Houthis to assure that local forces provide security at the three ports.

Diplomats said the Security Council is expected to vote on the draft resolution next week.

The council voted unanimously December 21 to authorise the deployment of UN monitors to observe implementation of the agreement between the government and Al Houthis signed in Stockholm on December 13 to monitor the ceasefire in Hodeida and the surrounding area and the pullout of rival forces. But that was only for 30 days, so a new resolution is needed to extend the deployment and establish a more permanent UN operation.