18 rebels killed in Yemen clashes: Army

By Mohamed al-Samei

SANAA (AA) – At least 18 Houthi rebels were killed in two days of clashes with government forces in Yemen’s southwestern Taiz province, according to the Yemeni army on Wednesday.

A military statement said the fatalities included Houthi commander Abu Hasanein, but did not give details about his role.
More than 30 rebels were also injured in the clashes, the statement said.

The military statement did not give details about casualties among government forces during the violence.

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

Yemen has been racked by violence since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country. The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its allies launched a massive air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi gains.

The ongoing violence has devastated basic services, including water and sanitation systems, prompting the UN to describe the situation in Yemen as one of “the world’s worst humanitarian disasters in modern times”.