Dozens killed in Yemen violence

By Mubarak Mohamed and Murad al-Arifi

SANAA (AA) - At least 42 people were killed on Saturday in clashes between pro-government forces and Houthi militants in Yemen.

Pro-government forces engaged in a deadly fighting with Houthi militants east of the capital Sanaa, Abdullah al-Shendouki, a spokesman for pro-government forces, said in a statement on his Facebook page.

“Seventeen Houthis and three government forces were killed in the violence,” he said.

According to the spokesman, pro-government forces managed to seize control of the al-Bayad mountain near Sanaa.

Meanwhile, at least 17 Houthis and allied forces were killed in clashes with pro-government fighters in the central Taiz province.

“Five pro-government troops were killed and 23 others injured in the confrontations in eastern Taiz,” pro-government commander Mahfouz al-Samet said.

There was no comment from the Houthi group on the reported death toll.

Yemen has been racked by chaos since late 2014, when the Houthis and their allies overran capital Sanaa and other parts of the country, forcing President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi and his Saudi-backed government to temporarily flee to Riyadh.

The conflict escalated when Saudi Arabia and Arab allies launched in May of last year a massive military campaign in the country aimed at reversing Houthi gains and restoring Hadi’s embattled government.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said Saturday that more than three million Yemenis have been displaced by the ongoing conflict in the Arab country.