ADEN, Yemen, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Three soldiers of the pro-government forces were killed on Friday during a landmine explosion that targeted their patrol in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, a government official told Xinhua.
The landmine explosion hit the military patrol in Mandher area, south of Hodeidah, the official said on condition of anonymity.
He said the Houthi fighters had previously infiltrated into the area and planted several landmines and explosive devices to target pro-government forces.
Yemeni officials said the government forces stationed on the southern outskirts of Hodeidah come under sporadic attacks from Houthis on a daily basis despite the UN cease-fire in the city.
Hodeidah, the main lifeline entry of Yemen's 70 percent commercial imports and most humanitarian aid, has become a focal point of a civil war since June 2018, when the government troops, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, launched an assault to retake the port city.
The Saudi-led military coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 to support Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after Houthi rebels forced him into exile and seized much of the country's north, including Hodeidah and the capital Sanaa.
The troops of the Yemeni exiled government have since advanced to the southern edges of Hodeidah and recaptured the airport after fierce battles against the rebels.
The coalition halted its assault on Hodeidah in late 2018 to facilitate peace efforts to end Yemen's four-year war, which has killed more than 10,000, displaced over 3 million others and brought the Arab nation to the brink of famine.
Last December, a UN-brokered cease-fire deal was reached in Stockholm between the Yemeni rival parties to avert an all-out offensive on Hodeidah. The deal focused on Hodeidah as the first step toward a comprehensive political solution.
The truce was largely held but both warring forces have failed to withdraw from the port city despite the deal.
