Omani delegation arrives in Yemen capital over UN-proposed ceasefire

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Soldiers of the Yemeni government sitting on armored vehicles as they are launching an offensive against the Houthi rebels in Abs district, Hajjah Province, north Yemen. (File)

Sanaa, (Asian independent) Yemen’s Houthi rebels said an official delegation from Oman arrived in capital Sanaa to discuss a UN-brokered ceasefire and humanitarian arrangements.

“The Omani delegation will discuss the arrangements of a cease-fire and humanitarian situation,” militia spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam was quoted as saying on Saturday by the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.

The spokesman did not provide more details, reports Xinhua news agency.

Meanwhile, the Yemen Foreign Ministry said on Twitter that Foreign Minister Ahmad Awad bin Mubarak arrived early Saturday morning in the Omani capital Muscat to exchange views with his counterpart.

The diplomatic efforts came nearly a week after a visit of the UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths to Sanaa, where he metHouthi chief Abdulmalik al-Houthi.

The Houthis began in February a major offensive against the Saudi-back Yemeni government army to capture the oil-rich province of Marib, which hosts nearly 2 million internally displaced people.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of Sanaa.