80 Houthi rebels killed in Yemen clashes

ADEN

At least 80 Houthi rebels were killed and tens of others injured in clashes with government forces in Yemen, according to a statement from the press office of the Yemeni army Tuesday.

Sixty rebels were killed in clashes in the Qaniyah region in Al Bayda province.

Another 20 rebels were killed in a Saudi Arabian-led coalition airstrikes in the district of Survah of Marib province.

A Houthi drone was shot down in Al-Hudaydah province by Yemeni government forces, according to the press office of Amalika Brigade.

Yemen has been beset by violence and chaos since 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital of Sanaa.

The crisis escalated in 2015 when a Saudi-led military coalition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains.

Tens of thousands of Yemenis, including civilians, are believed to have been killed in the conflict, which has led to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis as millions remain at risk of starvation.

*Writing by Seda Sevencan