Army chief hurt by roadside bomb in northern Yemen

By Murat al-Arifi

SANAA (AA) - Yemen’s army chief-of-staff was injured on Friday when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb in the country’s northern Al-Jawf province, according to a local military source.

Speaking anonymously due to restrictions on talking to media, the source said Army Chief-of-Staff Taher Ali al-Auqaili had been inspecting army forces deployed in Al-Jawf’s Al-Khab and Al-Shaaf directorate when the incident occurred.

Al-Jawf Governor Amin al-Ukaymi, who had been accompanying al-Auqaili at the time, emerged from the incident unscathed, the source said.

The same source went on to describe al-Auqaili’s injuries as “light”.

In recent weeks, the Al-Khab and Al-Shaaf directorate, which accounts for some 85 percent of Al-Jawf province, has seen fierce fighting between Yemeni government forces and Shia Houthi militiamen.

Impoverished Yemen has remained dogged by violence since 2014, when the Houthis overran much of the country, including capital Sanaa.

In 2015, Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies launched a massive military campaign aimed at reversing Houthi gains and shoring up Yemen's pro-Saudi government.