Three Houthis killed as govt forces repel Houthi attack in Yemen

Aden, Aug 10 (IANS) Yemeni government forces repelled a large-scale offensive by the Houthi group in southern Yemen's Dhalea province and killed three Houthi militants during the confrontation, a military official told Xinhua.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that the Houthis used heavy artillery in an attempt to break through government defensive lines in the Bab Ghalaq area in northern Dhalea, triggering intense fighting between the group and government forces.

The fighting lasted for about an hour before the Houthis were forced to withdraw in disarray toward their positions, whereas the government forces maintained their defensive positions, said the official.

Apart from three fatalities, the group also suffered military equipment losses, said the official, adding that five government soldiers were injured during the fighting.

The Houthi group has yet to respond to the reported confrontation, Xinhua news agency reported.

Yemen has remained in a fragile state of calm since the collapse of a UN-brokered truce at the end of 2022, with both sides failing to agree on its renewal or expansion.

The conflict, which began in late 2014, has killed hundreds of thousands and pushed millions to the brink of famine, according to UN estimates.

--IANS

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