ADEN, Yemen, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Anti-bomb disposal units of the pro-government forces Friday began to defuse hundreds of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and landmines laid by the Houthi rebels in Yemen's Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.
"Soldiers of the engineering teams and bomb disposal units backed by the Saudi-led coalition began a wide-scale operation aimed at clearing hundreds of landmines in many areas that witnessed fighting in Hodeidah," a local military official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Different types of landmines and IEDs were found along the main roads linking Hodeidah with the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa and successfully defused later by the bomb disposal teams, the official said.
He added that the main entrances of Hodeidah were also cleared from scores of Houthi-laid landmines in preparation for the return of displaced people to their homes.
The Houthi rebels have used IEDs to make roadside bombs and landmines for impeding the progress of the government forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition in Hodeidah, but inflicted casualties on civilians.
Both the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels agreed to a cessation of hostilities following a deal brokered by the UN in Sweden last week.
The cease-fire deal signed between high-ranking officials of the two-warring rivals under the auspices of the UN demanded full withdrawal of all armed groups from Hodeidah and its strategic sea ports.
According to the deal, the UN will manage the port and supervise the re-deployment of neutral forces there to prevent military escalation, while local forces will help with the maintenance of law and order in the city.
On Wednesday, the UN-led team tasked with monitoring a cease-fire held the first meeting with the presence of retired Dutch general Patrick Cammaert, head of the joint committee which includes both government officials and representatives from the Houthi rebel group.
During the first days of the cease-fire that went into effect last week, tense calm was observed in the neighborhoods of Hodeidah despite heavy deployment of fighters of the two-warring sides inside and around the city.
Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Houthi rebels overtook Sanaa and toppled the government of President Abd-Rabbuh Mansour Hadi. A Saudi-led coalition has been fighting the Houthis since 2015.
The war has killed more than 10,000 people and created a serious humanitarian crisis.
