Aden airport opens for civilian traffic

The Aden International Airport opened for civilian traffic on Wednesday after 10 months with the Yemen National Airlines's commercial flight arriving from Amman of Jordan.
In a statement to Arabic daily Al Khaleej, Director-General of Aden airport Tariq Abdo said: "A plane of the Yemeni Air will arrive today at Aden airport from Amman to move the wounded people from Aden to Khartoum."
It may be noted here that the Aden Airport was overhauled under the support and supervision of the UAE.
Earlier, Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi had given orders for resumption of operations at Aden International Airport after his return from Riyadh last week.
Meanwhile, the Arab coalition forces backed by units of the Yemeni national army have made advances in their march towards Taiz. They managed to retake some sites from the control of Houthi militas and forces loyal to ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Arab forces took control of Al Kasara site near Najd Qasim and Dabab area, west of Taiz. Troops regrouped offensive lines and launched a ferocious battle in which several Houthi militia members were killed. Some areas of Al Misrakh district of Taiz were also liberated.
The government forces are now only 2km away from Al Rahda district.
The Arab coalition's air forces bombed an assembly area of the militias in Demna opposite Al Saqee dam in which a Houthi leader called Abu Hilal along with several others were killed.
A sting operation carried out by the resistance forces at Azzan area in Al Waziyah district resulted in killing seven Houthis militias and rebels loyal to Saleh.
According information available here, military reinforcements from Wadia had been delivered to the Yemeni army in city of Marib.
The reinforcement includes ammunition, armoured vehicles, and heavy artillery in preparation for the liberation of Sirwah.
Unconfirmed information points to a deal on prisoners swap between Houthis and the government forces at Bihan district of Shabwa governorate, southeast of Yemen. A total of 17 Houthis were exchanged for eight resistance forces loyal to the government.
Meanwhile, the UN aid chief on Tuesday accused Houthis of blocking and diverting deliveries of aid to Taez where some 200,000 people are living under siege.
"Houthis are blocking supply routes and continue to obstruct the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian aid and supplies into Taiz city," said Stephen O'Brien, the undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs.
Trucks carrying aid are blocked at checkpoints and "only very limited assistance has been allowed in", he added in a statement.
O'Brien said it was "unacceptable" that some of the aid destined for the city's needy was being diverted away from those people.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com