Army registers gains in Houthi stronghold in N. Yemen

By Zeynep Hilal Karyagdi

SAADA, Yemen (AA) - The Yemeni army has wrested several areas in the northern Saada province from Houthi rebels, according to local military sources.

Army forces have reportedly made considerable gains in Saada’s Kataf district, which has long been considered a Houthi stronghold.

After heavy fighting in which at least three Houthi fighters were killed, the army reportedly captured several strategic positions on Kataf’s outskirts, prompting the rebels to beat a hasty retreat.

Impoverished Yemen has been wracked by conflict since 2014, when the Shia Houthi group overran much of the country, including capital Sanaa.

The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies launched a wide-ranging military campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi gains and shoring up Yemen’s pro-Saudi government.

Riyadh accuses the Houthis of acting as a proxy force for Shia Iran, Saudi Arabia’s arch-foe in the region.

*Ali Murat Alhas contributed to this story from Ankara