Violations reported, but Yemen's ceasefire holds on first day

Yemen's ceasefire, which took effect on Sunday at midnight, was largely holding on Monday - despite some violations by rebel fighters, said a general loyal to President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi.

General Mohamed Ali al-Makdashi accused Houthis of violating the ceasefire on several fronts since it entered into force at 2100GMT on Sunday.

"The truce has not collapsed and we hope the [Houthi] rebels end their attacks and respect the ceasefire," said the armed forces chief of staff.

Breaches took place in Taiz, Marib, Sanaa and in the province of Jawf, where rebels continued to fire missiles and take part in armed clashes, he said.

Twelve ceasefire violations were reported in Taiz, Yemen's third-largest city.

The military commission in Taiz said a civilian was killed and several others injured in the city, adding, "our response was limited to self-defence".

Makdashi maintained his forces were ready to "stop any attempt by the Houthis to advance".

But prominent analysts based in the capital used social media to report violations by the Saudi-led coalition, who reportedly continued to bombard Sanaa with airstrikes.

Yemen's warring parties agreed to lay down their weapons in preparation for peace talks in Kuwait in a week, after a year-long battle has left the impoverished state in an even more dire situation.

Government officials, opposition parties and Houthi leaders will attend the April 18 talks held in Kuwait in an attempt to offer a peaceful resolution to a conflict that has taken the lives of more than 6,300 people.