Dozens of Houthi rebels killed in western Yemen clashes

By Mohamed al-Samei

SANAA, Yemen (AA) - Scores of Houthi rebels were killed and a commander was injured in clashes with government forces in western Yemen, the country’s army said on Wednesday.

"Houthi commander Abu Jaffar al-Talbi was injured and tens of rebels were killed in a clash with the government forces in Al-Hudaydah province," the Yemeni army said in a statement.

The Yemeni government accused Houthi rebels of "continuing their escalation and daily breaches of the UN truce by attacking various areas in Al-Hudaydah province."

For its part, Houthis accused government forces of bombing a civilian's farm in Al-Hudaydah province, according to the Houthi-run Saba news agency.

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

The crisis escalated in 2015 when a Saudi-led military coalition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains.

Since then, tens of thousands of Yemenis, including numerous civilians, are believed to have been killed in the conflict, while another 14 million are at risk of starvation, according to the UN.

* Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara