10 February 2018•Update: 11 February 2018
By Mubarak Mohamed
SANAA
Ten Houthi rebels and two government soldiers were killed in clashes in southern Yemen on Saturday, according to a Yemeni military officer.
The violence broke out after rebels attacked military positions in Qaatabah district in Dhale province, Army Capt. Fadl al-Jalal told Anadolu Agency.
He said army forces managed to repel the attack and forced rebels to retreat.
Yemeni government forces hold control of seven directorates in Dhale province while Juban and Damt directorates are seized by Houthis.
Yemen has remained dogged by conflict since 2014, when the Shia Houthi militia overran much of the country, including capital Sanaa.
In 2015, Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies -- who accuse the Houthis of serving as a proxy force for Shia Iran -- launched a wide-ranging military campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi gains and shoring up Yemen’s Saudi-backed government.
