YEMAN: More than 120 people have been killed in fierce clashes between Yemen’s Houthi movement, Ansar Allah, and Yemeni government forces near the country’s western coast, according to Arab media reports.
The clashes took place in coastal areas along the Red Sea and in Taiz. The reports said 24 government forces were killed in the Red Sea coastal area, while 15 others died in Taiz. Yemeni military attacks also killed 42 Houthi fighters, bringing the reported death toll to more than 120.
Heavy fighting erupted Thursday after the Houthis launched attacks around Red Sea coastal areas and Taiz. Ansar Allah also carried out drone and missile attacks against Yemeni government forces, according to the reports.
Yemeni government military sources said the Houthis had been attacking key areas for several weeks. The group is reportedly seeking to cut off the strategic port city of Mokha from other government-controlled areas and advance toward territory near the Bab al-Mandab Strait.