Scores of rebels reportedly killed in Yemen clashes

By Mohamed al-Samei

SANAA

Scores of Houthi rebels were reportedly killed in clashes with government forces in northwestern Yemen, according to the Yemeni army on Monday.

A number of Houthi rebels were also captured during the violence in the northwestern Hajjah province, the media office for the army’s 5th Military Zone said in a statement.

The statement, however, did not give any details about casualties among government forces.

There was no comment from the Shia Houthi group on the claim.

Houthi rebels are in control of most areas in Hajjah, though Yemeni government forces have recently managed to gain a foothold there.

Impoverished Yemen has remained wracked by violence since 2014, when Shia Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa.

The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies launched a devastating air campaign in Yemen aimed at rolling back Houthi gains.

The ongoing violence has destroyed much of Yemen’s infrastructure, including water and sanitation systems, prompting the UN to describe the situation as one of “the worst humanitarian disasters of modern times”.