Yemeni army retakes positions near Sanaa from Houthis

By Mohammed al-Samei

SANAA (AA) - The Yemeni army on Monday seized control of several military positions after clashing with Shia Houthi militiamen east of capital Sanaa, a local military source said.

“Yemeni forces have retaken several strategic sites, including two in the Nahm directorate east of Sanaa,” army spokesman Saleh al-Qutaibi told Anadolu Agency.

According to al-Qutaibi, 11 Houthis were killed in the fighting, including Abu Malik al-Karbalai, a leading Houthi commander.

Four Yemeni soldiers were also killed -- and three injured -- in the clashes, which remain ongoing, the spokesman said.

He went on to predict that the Yemeni army would soon establish full control over the Nahm directorate, which is considered the eastern gate into capital Sanaa.

It was not possible to obtain immediate comment from Houthi spokesmen regarding the army’s assertions.

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

The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi military gains.