117 killed in four days of intense fighting in western Yemen

At least 117 people have been killed during four days of fierce fighting between Yemeni government forces and the Houthi group in the western provinces of Taiz and Hodeidah, according to medical officials.

A senior medical official accompanying government troops on the western coast said 54 soldiers had been killed and several others wounded since the clashes began on Thursday.

Two medical sources at Houthi-run hospitals in Hodeidah reported that 63 members of the group had died over the same period. The figures put the combined death toll from the two sides at 117.

Yemeni government warplanes struck Houthi-controlled areas in Hodeidah and Taiz on Friday as ground forces attempted to contain a major offensive near the strategically important Bab al-Mandab Strait.

The aircraft targeted Houthi positions and troop movements in areas witnessing active ground combat, an official said. Immediate details about casualties or the extent of damage caused by the strikes were unavailable.

The fighting intensified across several fronts after Houthi forces made rapid territorial gains within 24 hours. Government troops subsequently recaptured several important positions in western Taiz during an overnight counter-offensive, according to a military official.

The escalation represents some of the most intense ground combat witnessed in western Yemen in recent years. It has also renewed concerns that the country could return to large-scale hostilities following a period of relative calm along many frontlines.

Yemen has remained embroiled in conflict since late 2014, when the Houthis took control of the capital, Sanaa, and large parts of the country’s north. A Saudi-led coalition intervened the following year in support of Yemen’s internationally recognised government.

With IANS inputs