Fifteen people died in Yemen during fierce gun battles between Shiite gunmen and members of a tribe loyal to the government, witnesses said on Sunday. Thirteen people were hurt in the fighting between the pro-government Al-Bukhtan tribe and the gunmen, they said, according to AFP.

The fighting, which broke-out on Saturday in a market in the Saada province near the border with Saudi Arabia, came two months after Zaidi gunmen killed an Al-Bukhtan member who they accused of supporting the government. Government forces have since joined the battle by shelling Zaidi positions.