20 Houthis, pro-Saleh forces killed near Yemeni capital

By Mohamed al-Samei

SANAA (AA) - At least 20 Houthi militants and allied forces were killed on Saturday in clashes with pro-government fighters east of capital Sanaa.

In a Facebook post, local commander Abdullah al-Shandaki said 20 Houthis and forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh were killed during an attack on a location of the pro-government forces in the Nahm district, 50km east of Sanaa.

“Scores of Houthis and pro-Saleh forces were also injured in the attack,” he said.

According to al-Shandaki, a pro-government fighter was killed and five others were injured during the clashes.

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

Yemen has been racked by chaos since late 2014, when the Houthis and their allies overran capital Sanaa and other parts of the country, forcing President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi and his Saudi-backed government to temporarily flee to Riyadh.

In March of last year, Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a massive military campaign in Yemen aimed at reversing Houthi gains and restoring Hadi’s embattled government.

This April, the Yemeni government and the Houthis entered into UN-sponsored peace talks in Kuwait aimed at resolving the conflict, in which, according to UN figures, more than 6,400 people have been killed and another 2.5 million forced to flee their homes.

*Anadolu Agency Correspondent Ali Abo Rezeg contributed to this report from Ankara