ADEN, Yemen
Shiite Houthi militants and troops loyal to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh forced their way into the southern city of Ad Dali on Monday, eyewitnesses have said.
Yemen's pro-Saleh 33rd Armored Brigade and allied Houthi militants managed to enter the city following six days of violent clashes with separatist militants, witnesses said.
According to witness accounts, Houthi militants took up positions across the city amid intermittent fighting.
Ad Dali, seen as a major route to the southern provinces, has recently seen heavy fighting between the Houthis and Herak separatist militants, leaving dozens dead, including civilians.
The Houthis have fought Sunni tribes and southern separatists since last September, when they took over capital Sanaa, from which they have sought to extend their control to other provinces.
Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies, meanwhile, have been striking Houthi positions across Yemen by air since Wednesday.
Saudi Arabia said its anti-Houthi campaign was in response to appeals by embattled Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi to "save the people [of Yemen] from the Houthi militias."
Some Gulf countries accuse Shiite Iran of supporting Yemen's Houthi insurgency.
