SANAA, Yemen

At least 12 Houthi rebels were killed Wednesday in Saudi-led coalition airstrikes east of the capital Sanaa, according to local media.

Coalition warplanes pounded mountainous areas in Nihm district, east of Sanaa, the army-affiliated September 26 website said.

According to the news portal, 12 Houthis were killed in the area.

On Monday, government forces said they made gains in Nihm directorate. 

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. 

Reporting by Mohamed al-Samei:Writing by Mahmoud Barakat