SANAA
Three Yemeni soldiers and ten Shiite Houthi militants were killed early Sunday in clashes in the northern Amran province, a local official said.
Clashes erupted overnight in Mahshash Mountain area in northwestern Amran amid a military operation to recapture strategic sites seized earlier by the Houthis, the official, who preferred anonymity, told Anadolu Agency.
An unspecified number of Houthi militants were also injured in the clashes as the army troops made major advances into the area, the official added.
Houthi leaders could not be reached for comment.
Amran has been the scene of sporadic clashes in recent weeks between the army and Houthi militants, the latter of whom also frequently clash with local tribesmen.
The Shiite Houthi movement first appeared in 1992, taking Yemen's northern Saada province as its main base of operations.
Several rounds of subsequent fighting between the group and the army have left thousands dead on both sides.
Yemen in general has been dogged by turmoil since pro-democracy protests in 2011 forced autocratic president Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down after 33 years in power.
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