Yemen: At least 156 Houthi rebels killed in fighting in the north

At least 156 fighters of the Shiite Houthi armed movement have been killed in fighting with the Yemeni government army in the past 48 hours in the northern province of Hajjah, officials of the latter told the New China News Agency on Saturday.

They took place in the city of Harad, near the border with Saudi Arabia, and in the neighboring region of Abs.

In Harad, “106 guerrillas were killed,” a source at the front said.

“Dozens of Houthi vehicles were bombed by allied aircraft,” the source added, referring to the Saudi-led military alliance that intervened in the war in Yemen in March 2015.

Fighting in Harad continues for several days after the Houthis, believed to be close to Iran, ousted the government army from the city, killing more than 60 members and wounding another 140, according to military sources.

In Abd, Yemeni troops backed by the Riyadh alliance repulsed an attempt by the Houthis to advance. “Fifty Houthis were killed on the spot and dozens of other insurgents were wounded,” said a source at the front in Bani Hassan.

The conflict in Yemen has been escalating lately. The alliance and forces loyal to the internationally recognized government are launching attacks in the north against the rebels to regain some of the territory they lost during the nearly eight years of war.

The insurgents, meanwhile, have stepped up their rocket and UAV attacks against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the other pillar of the alliance. The UAE has been a new front of the war since January.

With more than 377,000 dead, according to United Nations estimates, the war in Yemen has also caused one of the worst humanitarian tragedies on the planet, with most of the population facing the famine spectrum.