Yemeni forces withdraw from around the Yemen's Hodeida‏‏

Yemeni forces under a Saudi-led Arab coalition said on Friday they had withdrawn from around the main Red Sea port of Hodeidah held by their foes the Houthis to help deter the Iran-aligned group's advances in other parts of Yemen.

A joint statement by United Arab Emirates-backed forces, including the Giants Brigade, said there was no longer any purpose in maintaining positions around Hodeidah city in western Yemen, due to a truce in place there under a United Nations-sponsored pact.

The pact was agreed by the warring sides in late 2018 to spare Hodeidah, Yemen's main entry point for commercial imports and aid flows, but a troop withdrawal by both sides stipulated under the deal had stalled since 2019.

"The joint forces recognised the mistake of remaining in defensive barricades, unable to fight under an international pact, while various front lines require support," they said.