Aden: Al Houthi militiamen on Wednesday shot dead the commander of President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi’s loyalist forces in southern Yemen, a military official said.
General Ali Nasser Hadi was killed as he led forces fighting Al Houthis in the Tawahi district of the port city of Aden, the official told AFP.
General Hadi, who is not related to the exiled president, was appointed in March to lead loyalist forces in a southern area including the provinces of Aden, Abyan and Lahj.
Pro-Hadi forces, including military units and militia fighters, have been battling the Iran-backed militiamen for weeks in Aden, the president’s former stronghold.
Hadi fled Aden in late March as Al Houthis advanced on the city after seizing control of large parts of the country, including the capital Sana’a.
A Saudi-led coalition launched air strikes against the militiamen including in Aden, where fighting has continued to rage.
The city’s health chief Al Khader Laswar said that the previous 24 hours of fighting in Aden had left seven people dead and 95 others wounded - including pro-Hadi fighters and civilians.
A military source said that coalition raids had also killed militiamen overnight in Aden.
