Yemen truce to begin today along with Swiss talks

The Saudi-led coalition has said that a ceasefire in Yemen will begin this morning instead of at midnight as earlier announced, as warring parties prepared for UN-brokered peace talks in Switzerland.
The coalition which launched an air campaign against Iran- backed rebels in March said yesterday the ceasefire will begin at 1430 IST following a request by Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, but it warned that it "reserves the right to respond in case of any violation".
Hadi has declared his government's intention to have a 7- day truce to coincide with talks opening in Switzerland and to be "renewed automatically if the other party commits to it," the statement said.

The truce announcement came as the Arab coalition said a senior Saudi commander and an Emirati officer were killed during operations in Yemen.
A lull in fighting is sorely needed in the Arabian Peninsula's poorest nation, where an estimated 80 percent of the population requires humanitarian aid.
Jihadists, including the Islamic State group, have exploited the violence, gaining ground and carrying out deadly attacks against both sides of the conflict.

The rebel forces have yet to say if they will abide by the ceasefire agreement.
Mueen Abdulmalek, a member of the coalition-backed government's delegation at peace talks, earlier told AFP that the ceasefire will start at midnight local time (0230 IST).

"We hope the militias will commit to the ceasefire this time," he said, referring to the rebels.
A presidency official confirmed the truce was agreed by Hadi and Yemen's UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed.
Yemen's conflict has pitted local forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition fighting in support of Hadi's government against the Shiite Huthis and renegade troops still loyal to wealthy ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Previous UN efforts have failed to narrow differences, and past ceasefires were broken.
Ahead of the ceasefire, Saudi Colonel Abdullah al-Sahyan and Emirati officer Sultan al-Kitbi died while supervising operations "to liberate" the southwestern Taez province, the coalition said.

Yemen's presidency described them as "martyrs" who died in an honourable battle" in a statement that also praised the coalition's role in supporting "Yemen's legitimate authority in regaining control of state institutions".