Yemen: 23 al-Houthi militants killed in clashes in Baydha
As many as 23 al-Houthi militants and four pro-government tribesmen have been killed in fierce clashes in the central province of Baydha when the Iran-backed rebels launched an attack to expand their territories, state-run media and activists said on Sunday.
A large number of heavily-armed fighters mounted an offensive on Al Humygani tribesmen in Al Zaher district, setting off bloody clashes that continued Saturday afternoon, Abdul Rab Al Humygani, a local activist close to government fighters, told Gulf News.
“The al-Houthi militia was drawn deep into the valley. Resistance fighters attacked trapped fighters including some soldiers from the elite Republican Guards,” he said.
The Republic Guards are loyal to ousted Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh who forged an awkward alliance with al-Houthi rebels against the internationally-recognised government of Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi.