Yemeni government forces killed 17 Shiite rebels in overnight clashes in the north, the official Saba news agency reported on Thursday. Four other Shiite gunmen, who are also known as Huthis, were captured as they fled the battleground in Saada province, a local official told Saba.
"The army and security forces have inflicted heavy losses upon the saboteurs and the rebels whether in terms of lives or equipment," the official added. In addition, warplanes hit rebel posts as troops exchanged fire with Huthi fighters, the official said. The report added that many Huthi fighters were also injured during the clashes.
The army, according to him, has also destroyed several vehicles that were carrying aid, ammunition and weaponry to the rebels. He added that the Huthis bombed one civilian house.
Local and foreign aid groups have warned of worsening humanitarian conditions among the civilians displaced by the latest fighting and now living in refugee camps.
