WASHINGTON: The US special envoy for Yemen will visit the Gulf this week to try and reinvigorate the peace process, the State Department said on Wednesday, after a spate of attacks in the war between Yemen’s Ansar Allah group and the coalition.
Envoy Tim Lenderking “will press the parties to de-escalate militarily and seize the new year to participate fully in an inclusive UN-led peace process,” it said in a statement. Lenderking will also focus on the “urgent need to mitigate the dire humanitarian and economic crises facing Yemenis”.
His visit follows further strikes this week that took the war to a new level. On Monday, a drone and missile attack on coalition partner the UAE killed three people and was claimed by the Ansar Allah.
Early on Tuesday, the coalition carried out air strikes on the Ansar Allah-held Yemeni capital Sanaa, killing at least 20 people including civilians, according to Ansar Allah media and residents – one of its deadliest attacks since 2019.
Washington has condemned the Ansar Allah strike against the UAE, one of the United States’ leading Gulf Arab allies.
The UAE has called for the UN Security Council to weigh in on the attack. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has voiced concern regarding the coalition air strikes as well as condemned the attack on the UAE, his spokesman said.
Earlier, air strikes by the coalition fighting Yemen’s Ansar Allah group on the capital Sanaa killed at least 20 people overnight, including civilians, Ansar Allah media and residents said, in one of its deadliest attacks since 2019.
Around 14 people were killed when coalition planes struck the home of a high-ranking Ansar Allah military official, including his wife and son, according to neighbours and a medic.
The air strikes followed Monday’s drone and missile attack on coalition partner the UAE that was claimed by the Ansar Allah and killed three people.
The coalition also said it intercepted eight Ansar Allah drones launched toward Saudi Arabia on Monday.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “expressed his concern and deplores” the coalition air strikes, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday. Dujarric said on Monday that Guterres condemned the drone and missile attack on the UAE. – Reuters
