Al Arabiya , 23 October 2016 – United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed demanded extending the ceasefire which ends at dawn on Sunday.

Prior to Ould Cheikh’s demands, commanders of the Yemeni army said they adhered to the ceasefire despite the violations committed by Houthi militias and forces loyal to ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh, and which reached around 1,000 violations.

The national armed forces on Saturday thwarted an attack by the militias in Midi, north west of the country.

The armed forces’ media center said the army launched a counterattack in the same area and liberated posts in the western coast in Midi.

It added that the clashes there killed 13 militia members.

The militia have violated the ceasefire in Yemen since it went into effect on midnight on Wednesday. On Saturday, the Houthi militias and forces loyal to Saleh prevented a UNICEF delegation headed by the country director of UNICEF from entering Taiz to check on people’s humanitarian and health conditions. The move has been condemned as a flagrant violation of the ceasefire.