Children play on a beach in the southern port city of Aden, Yemen, on Aug. 12, 2019. Life returned to Aden one day after the Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces managed to capture all military bases of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces. Shops, businesses, offices, educational institutions resumed operations and reopened their doors after the STC's takeover of Aden. Famous beaches in Aden received hundreds of families from the city's districts or other visitors who came from different neighboring southern main cites for the purpose of celebrating the Eid festival. TO GO WITH "Feature: Life returns to Yemen's Aden after cessation of fighting" (Photo by Murad Abdo/Xinhua)
ADEN, Yemen, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- The southern port city of Aden witnessed a ferocious street fighting between military units belonging to the Southern Transitional Council (STC) and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces days prior of Eid al-Adha festivities.
The intense street battles that continued for about four consecutive days created panic among the residents and largely affected normal life in the densely populated neighborhoods of Aden.
But life returned to the strategic southern city just one day after the STC forces managed to capture all military bases of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces including the country's presidential palace.
Shops, businesses, offices, educational institutions and the city's sole main international airport that remained closed during the fighting days resumed operations and reopened their doors after the STC's takeover of Aden.
Ahmed Fadhel, a citizen based in Aden's neighborhood of Mansourah, told Xinhua that all the families started to celebrate Eid al-Adha without any interruptions or fears.
"Everything is going well in Aden and many families started getting out to enjoy the Eid festivities after the complete disappearance of military acts," said Ahmed.
On Sunday, the international airport of Aden resumed operations after four days of suspension that forced all the government facilities to stop its activities.
"The airport officials reassured all the Yemeni citizens and passengers that the operations have been resumed starting today (Sunday)," a local government official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
"All the flights to and from Aden will be resumed normally without any problems," he added.
Famous beaches in Aden received hundreds of families from the city's districts or other visitors who came from different neighboring southern main cites for the purpose of celebrating the Eid festival.
"I noticed beaches overwhelmed with families and their children playing in joy during the second day of Eid al-Adha," said Pasim Subihi, a citizen who came from the neighboring southern province of Lahj.
Heavy STC forces backed by armored vehicles withdrew from the city's streets and deployed just around Yemen's Central Bank of Yemen (CBY) and other government institutions.
On Saturday, the STC forces seized all the government's military bases including the presidential palace and forced the ministers and military leaders to flee to Saudi Arabia's capital of Riyadh.
The Saudi-backed Yemeni government held the STC and the United Arab Emirates, a key partner of the Saudi-led coalition, fully responsible for the consequences of the coup against the authorities in Aden.
The southern port city of Aden is almost entirely under the control of the STC forces that are also allied to the Saudi-led coalition in the fighting against the Houthis.
Aden's fighting started when senior leaders of the STC accused the Saudi-backed Yemeni government of "backing Islamists and leaking information to the Iran-backed Houthis" who targeted an army base in Aden last week, killing scores of soldiers including commanders.
The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen Lise Grande said in a statement that preliminary reports show 40 people have been killed in the past days of fighting.
"It is heart-breaking that during Eid al-Adha, families are mourning the death of their loved ones instead of celebrating together in peace and harmony," she added.
Considered Yemen's temporary capital, Aden is where the Saudi-backed Yemeni government has based itself since 2015.
The impoverished Arab country has been locked in a civil war since late 2014, when the Houthis overran much of the country and seized all northern provinces including the capital Sanaa.
