Dozens killed in Houthi assault close to Saudi border

Dozens killed in Houthi assault close to Saudi border
Numbers of those killed remain unconfirmed as news emerges of vicious fighting between government forces and rebels, culminating in coalition airstrikes and suspected cluster bombs.
1 min read
05 September, 2016
The Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out airstrikes in Yemen since March 2015 [Getty]

Houthi forces launched a fresh attack on the two small towns of Midi and Haradh on Sunday, in a battle that has continued for almost six months.

The New Arab's correspondent in Yemen said that the exact number of those killed was not confirmed, with government sources claiming 50 dead and opposition Houthi sources claiming to have killed 40 government soldiers.

Arab coalition forces responded to the attack with 31 airstrikes in Midi and Haradh. Houthi sources claim that coalition forces used cluster bombs during this attack.

The small town of Midi is a port town situated on the Red Sea and Houthi forces see the town as a vital new supply route.

The Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out airstrikes in Yemen since March 2015. The conflict in Yemen pits an internationally-recognised government, backed by the Arab coalition, against the Houthi rebels, who captured the capital, Sanaa, in September 2014.

Attacks from Yemen on Saudi border areas have intensified since the suspension of UN-brokered peace talks between the Houthi rebels, their allies and Yemen's government in early August.