Pompeo Urges Yemenis To 'Immediately Return To Restraint' Amid Recent Deadly Attacks

Pompeo Urges Yemenis to 'Immediately Return to Restraint' Amid Recent Deadly Attacks

All parties to the conflict in Yemen to restrain themselves amid the recent attacks that claimed dozens of lives, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement on Tuesday

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th January, 2020) All parties to the conflict in Yemen to restrain themselves amid the recent attacks that claimed dozens of lives, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement on Tuesday.

"We call on all parties to put the needs of the Yemeni people first and immediately return to restraint," Pompeo said.

On Sunday, medical staff at a hospital in the northeast of Yemen said that a missile attack on an army camp killed 80 people - including 24 soldiers - and injured dozens. The government forces responded by also killing dozens of Houthi rebels in the capital Sanaa.

Pompeo underscored the importance of the United Nations-led efforts to bring the warring parties to a political settlement and urged the Houthis to cease attacks on neighboring Saudi Arabia.

Pompeo also said the United States will continue working with international partners to bring peace, prosperity and security to Yemen and renewed fighting is not acceptable to Washington.

"Renewed fighting is unacceptable and threatens to undermine this hard-earned progress," Pompeo said.

Yemen has been engulfed for five years in an armed conflict between the government forces led by President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and the Houthi rebels. A Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis at Hadi's request since March 2015. Though both parties signed an accord to ease tensions in 2018, the situation has escalated in recent months.