Yemen: 80 Houthis killed as army liberates key areas

DHALE, Yemen

At least 80 Houthi rebels were killed Friday in clashes with government forces during the liberation of key areas in Yemen’s Dhale province.

They included their commander, Mohammad Al-Sanhani, according to the Yemeni army's September Net website.

The army also destroyed a large amount of ammunition and weapons belonging to the Houthis, the website said.

The clashes came as the army recaptured a city in Dhale from the Houthis, according to a military source.

“The army has succeeded in liberating the city of Qatabah from Houthi militants,” Yemen’s UAE-trained Security Belt forces said in a statement.

Yemen has been wracked by violence since 2014, when the Houthi rebel group overran much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

The crisis escalated in 2015 when a Saudi-led military coalition launched a massive air campaign in Yemen aimed at rolling back Houthi gains.