Yemen ceasefire takes effect as peace talks begin

A ceasefire took effect Tuesday in conflict-ravaged Yemen as warring sides began UN-brokered peace talks in Switzerland, according to the United Nations and the Saudi-led coalition battling Iran-backed rebels.

Limited violations of the truce were reported shortly after it began at midday (0900 GMT), with several mortar rounds hitting government forces in the southwestern province of Taez, according to a Yemeni security official.

The Saudi-led coalition, which launched an air war against the Huthi Shiite rebels and their allies in March, said the ceasefire had started as scheduled following a request by Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

The rebel forces, who control the capital, have yet to say if they will abide by the truce.

The UN envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, hailed the halt in fighting as "a critical first step towards building a lasting peace in the country."

He said that the talks in Switzerland "seek to establish a permanent ceasefire and pave the way for a return to a peaceful and orderly political transition."

UN spokesman Ahmad Fawzi confirmed that the talks had begun at an undisclosed location.

"The UN-sponsored consultations aimed at finding a durable settlement to the Yemen crisis started today in Switzerland," he told reporters.

"These consultations seek to establish a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire, secure improvements to the humanitarian situation and a return to a peaceful and orderly political transition," he added.

Fawzi said 12 negotiators and six advisers made up each of the two delegations taking part in the talks.

Ahead of the truce, clashes shook the flashpoint city of Taez and coalition warplanes bombed rebel positions. 

Even after the ceasefire took effect, a Yemeni security official reported five mortars targeted pro-Hadi forces in Shuraija, south of Taez. 

Resident reported hearing shelling in the city.