World, Middle East

Yemen army claims to make gains against Houthis in Taiz

Army claims to have captured strategic Houthi positions after clashing with rebels in country’s southwest

09.04.2018 - Update : 09.04.2018
Yemen army claims to make gains against Houthis in Taiz FILE PHOTO

By Mohamed al-Samie and Shukri Hussein

SANAA

Yemeni army forces have captured several “strategic” positions following clashes with Houthi rebels in the southwestern Taiz province, a local military source said Monday.

“Army forces captured the Al-Kambten Plateau, along with several positions in the Al-Waesh Mountain region, which overlooks districts north of Taiz city,” Army Colonel Abdul Basset al-Bahr told Anadolu Agency.

“Army forces also took a number of positions north of Taiz’s strategic Usaifira district,” he added.

According to al-Bahr, the clashes left at least 10 Houthi fighters -- and a Yemeni soldier -- dead.

Houthi officials, for their part, have neither confirmed nor denied the army officer’s claims.

In a related development, at least three pro-government commanders were killed Monday after being ambushed by unknown assailants in Yemen’s central Al-Bayda province, according to a local source.

The source, who spoke to Anadolu Agency anonymously due to restrictions on speaking to media, identified the three slain commanders as Mohamed Abdul Khaliq al-Damdami, Saleh al-Arawi and Mohamed Matloub.

The provincial authorities, meanwhile, have yet to confirm the incident, for which no group has claimed responsibility.

Yemen has been dogged by violence and chaos since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including capital Sanaa.

In 2015, Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies -- who accuse the Houthis of serving as an Iranian proxy -- launched a massive military campaign in Yemen aimed at rolling back Houthi gains.

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