By Mohammed al-Samei

SANAA

At least 20 Houthi rebels were reportedly killed in a failed attempt to attack government positions in Yemen’s northern Saada province near Saudi border, according to the Yemeni army.

Houthi militants on Sunday attempted to sneak into army positions in Souq al-Buqaa area in northern Saada, the army said in a statement cited by the pro-army September 26 website. 

The statement cited a military source saying 20 Houthi rebels were killed when government forces aborted the attack.

“The militias sustained heavy losses,” the source said. 

There was no comment from the Shia Houthi group on the claim. 

Yemen fell into civil war in 2014, when Houthi rebels and allied forces of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh overran capital Sanaa and other parts of the country. 

The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched an extensive air campaign aimed at reversing Houthi military gains and shoring up Yemen’s Saudi-backed government.

UN-brokered peace talks between the government and Houthi rebels have failed to resolve the conflict, in which 10,000 people were killed and around three million displaced, according to UN estimates.