MAARIB
More than 6,300 Yemenis have been killed since March 26, when Saudi Arabia and several Arab allies launched an air campaign against the Shiite Houthi group, a Yemeni NGO has said.
"The Houthi group and forces loyal to ousted Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh have lost nearly 5,000 fighters in clashes with resistance groups, army forces and from airstrikes carried out by the Saudi-led coalition," the Abaad Studies and Research Center said in a report on Tuesday.
The report – which covers the period from March 26 until May 12 – said that the number of registered injuries is twice as high as the death toll.
According to the Abaad Center, the report was based on figures provided by various sources, including medical officials, vigilante groups, statements from government and army officials with close ties to the Houthi group, as well as figures collected by the center's research team.
Fractious Yemen has remained in turmoil since last September, when the Houthis overran capital Sanaa, from which they have since sought to extend their influence southward to other parts of the country.
On March 25, Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies began an extensive air campaign targeting Houthi positions across Yemen.
Riyadh says its air campaign comes in response to appeals by embattled Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi for military intervention against the Houthis.
The Houthis, for their part, denounce the offensive as an unwarranted "Saudi-American aggression" on Yemen.
