TAIZ, Yemen

At least 20 militants affiliated with the Shia Houthi militia and their allies were killed in clashes Friday in Yemen’s southwestern Taiz province, according to a local military official.

In an operation against Houthi fighters and forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, 20 of them died, army spokesman Mansour al-Hassani said in a written statement.

Meanwhile, an air attack reportedly by Houtis in western Taiz left three journalists dead and 27 civilians wounded.

The Yemen Journalists Union claimed the Houtis were responsible for the deadly attack. The union said the journalists died as they filmed clashes between government troops and Houthi rebels.

Impoverished Yemen has remained in a state of civil war since 2014, when the Houthis and their allies overran the capital Sanaa and other parts of the country.

In 2015, Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a massive air campaign aimed at reversing Houthi military gains and shoring up Yemen’s pro-Saudi government.

According to UN officials, more than 10,000 Yemenis have been killed in the conflict to date.

Reporting by Murat Tan and Murad el-Arifi; Writing by Ayse Humeyra Atilgan