Aden, Aug 28, 2024, IANS

Aden, Aug 28 (IANS) Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council Rashad Al-Alimi made his first visit to Taiz, the southwestern Yemeni city that has been under siege by the Houthis for nearly a decade. Al-Alimi arrived in downtown Taiz with two other members of the presidential council on Tuesday, along with high-ranking government officials and military leaders, reports Xinhua, citing the state-run Saba news agency. According to local media reports, the convoy travelled from southern Yemen's port city of Aden via a treacherous and challenging route, on which a military vehicle overturned, injuring two soldiers from the Saudi Arabia-led coalition forces who were accompanying Al-Alimi. Al-Alimi's visit was a demonstration of "great love and loyalty" towards the conflict-affected Taiz, given the risks of entering a "besieged city surrounded by Houthi forces," Osama Sharabi, director of Moral Guidance and Public Relations for Taiz Police, said in a statement. Local observers said the visit may signal a potential shift in the government's strategy towards the ongoing conflict. Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating civil war since 2014, with the Houthis fighting against the internationally-recognised Yemeni government. In 2015, the Houthi group entered Taiz Governorate and surrounded its capital, Taiz. Although the city remains under the control of the Yemeni government, it is still besieged by Houthi forces.