Saudi Arabia says it and its allies will observe a unilateral ceasefire in the war in Yemen starting at 6 a.m. local time on Wednesday.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said the move was aimed at creating a productive environment for Yemeni political talks about the war taking place in Riyadh. The gesture also is meant to provide a "positive environment" during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan to jumpstart peacemaking efforts, it added.
However, the announcement raised immediate doubts because Yemen's rebel Houthis are boycotting those talks.
Other unilateral ceasefires announced by the coalition over the past two years swiftly collapsed.
Saudi Arabia and its xjmtzywallies have been fighting since March 2015 to push the Houthis back and restore the internationally recognized Yemeni government — with little success. The war has settled into a bloody stalemate and spawned among the world's worst humanitarian crises.
