Yemen's exiled government has announced the liberation of the country's southern port city of Aden from Shiite Houthi rebel forces.
"The government announces the liberation of the province of Aden on the first day of Eid Al Fitr which falls on 17 July," said Khaled Bahah, who lives in Saudi Arabi and serves as Vice President in Yemen's internationally recognized government, according to BBC News.
"We congratulate the people of Aden and the Republic of Yemen as whole for what has been achieved in the last two days. We will work to restore life in Aden and all the liberated cities, to restore water and electricity," he declared on his Facebook page, according to DW.
Forces loyal to President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, backed by Saudi-led coalition airstrikes, launched a major offensive to drive the Iran-backed Houthi rebels out of Aden earlier this week. Hadi's government was forced to flee from its stronghold of Aden in March after rebel forces captured the provincial capital.
The Saudi state media said loyalist forces had successfully drove away a last group of rebels from Aden's Mualla district Thursday, Arab News reported. However, rebels still held the northern and eastern entrances to the city, media reports said.
Hadi congratulated the forces for recapturing country's second city. "Aden will be the key to salvation for our people and our case," he said in a televised speech, according to Al Arabia. "From Aden, we will regain Yemen."
The loyalist forces secured city's airport earlier this week, as HNGN previously reported. Several ministers of Saudi-based Yemen's internationally recognized government returned to Aden on Thursday.
UN-based peace talks on Yemen crisis have failed to achieve a resolution to the conflict, according to VOA News. At least 3,500 people have been killed in the conflict, which began late last year when the Houthi militia captured the capital Sanaa.
