Yemen army thwarts Houthi attacks in Taiz, kills 40

By Mohamed al-Samei

SANAA, Yemen

At least 40 Houthi rebels were killed in clashes with government forces in the southwestern province of Taiz, the Yemeni army said Saturday.

Government forces repelled several attacks by Houthi rebels and allied forces of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh in the province over the past 24 hours, military spokesman Col. Abdul-Basit al-Bahr told Anadolu Agency.

He said seven government soldiers were injured in the attacks.

The spokesman said the rebels also attacked army positions in al-Maqatirah district in the southern Lahij province in a failed attempt to cut supply routes to Taiz.

Impoverished Yemen has remained in a state of civil war since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

The conflict escalated when Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a massive air campaign in 2015 aimed at reversing Houthi military gains and shoring up Yemen’s embattled government.