Yemen: Houthi rebels, government forces clash

AL JAWF, Yemen

Clashes between Yemeni government forces and Houthi rebels continued Wednesday, causing deaths on both sides.

Rabi al-Qurashi, a Yemeni army official in al-Jawf province, told Anadolu Agency that at least 20 Houthi rebels attacked army units in Al Hab, north of al-Jawf, and in al-Shaf.

Al-Qurashi said with the help of regional tribes and the military, some of these rebels were killed and some were taken hostage, but he did not give an exact number.

According to the September Net news website, Yemen’s Vice President Ali Mohsen Saleh shared a condolence message for two generals who died in clashes with Houthi rebels.

Saleh did not indicate where the two generals died, but it is known to be in and around Ma’rib and Shabwa. Ma’rib was the flashpoint of clashes between Houthi rebels and government forces this week.

The same news website also reported that government forces seized some areas in Al Bayda province. Tens of Houthi rebels are reported dead, but no exact figure was given.

Yemen has been beset by violence and chaos since 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital 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 are believed to have been killed in the conflict, including civilians, which has led to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis as millions remain at risk of starvation.

*Writing by Firdevs Bulut