Heavy fighting breaks out in Yemen’s Taiz city

Cairo: At least 20 Al Houthi militia fighters were killed in heavy clashes in Yemen’s third-largest city Taiz on Thursday, a day after they pounded it with rockets, forces loyal to the government said.

Taiz, considered Yemen’s cultural capital, has suffered huge destruction since becoming a main battleground in the conflict between government supporters and the Iran-allied Al Houthis, who are backed by forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. It is curretly divided between the two sides.

Al Houthis and Saleh’s forces are battling a Saudi-led coalition which is trying to restore the government of Yemen’s current president, Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, which is now based in the southern port of Aden.

Forces loyal to Hadi killed at least 20 Al Houthis and Saleh loyalists in Taiz, their commanders said. Nobody from Al Houthis was available to confirm the death toll.

On Wednesday, 14 civilians were killed in shelling in Taiz by Al Houthis, medical sources said.

Thousands have had to flee Taiz and those left behind are facing severe shortages of basic supplies. In September, the United Nations said it was concerned about the near collapse of the health care system in the city.

Hadi, made two phone calls to Hamoud Saeed Al Mikhlafi, a leader of the popular resistance in Taiz and Brigadier General Adnan Al Hamadi, the commander of the 35th Armored Brigade, to offer his condolences to the families of martyrs who fell Wednesday in the barbaric bombardment launched by Al Houthi militia and the forces loyal to the ousted Yemeni President, Ali Abdullah Saleh, on a number of residential areas in the city of Taiz.

Mansour called on the National Army and Popular Resistance forces in Taiz to stand strong in their fight against militia forces, stressing that the victory will come sooner or later. He also reiterated his support to all resistance fronts in Taiz province and the rest of the governorates of Yemen. He also emphasised the importance of solidarity in the face of Al Houthi militia and forces loyal Saleh.

-With inputs from WAM