Yemen: 68 killed in battles between Yemeni forces and Shiite Houthi rebels near strategic Bab al-Mandab strait
At least 68 fighters have been killed in two days of fierce battles between Yemeni forces and Shiite Houthi rebels near the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait, military officials said Sunday.
Government forces launched an assault Saturday, recapturing the coastal Dhubab district, just 30 kilometres (20 miles) north of Bab al-Mandab which links the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.
Since then at least 55 Houthis have been killed in fighting and 72 others wounded, military and medical sources said.
Clashes since Saturday have also killed 13 loyalists forces, including an army general, Brigadier-General Abdul Aziz al-Majidi, a loyalist commander, told AFP.