Dozens killed in clashes between Yemeni forces, Hadi's militiamen in Ma’rib
Dozens have been killed in clashes between Yemeni armed forces and militiamen loyal to pro-Saudi former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi as the Yemeni forces and allied fighters from Popular Committees pushed to take control of the northern city of Ma’rib.
At least 16 militiamen were killed and 21 others wounded in the past 24 hours, two unnamed Hadi’s officials said Sunday, claiming that an unspecified number of the Yemeni forces were also killed in the overnight clashes.
Earlier this month, the Yemeni army soldiers and their allied fighters resumed an offensive to take control of oil-rich Ma’rib, Hadi’s last urban stronghold in northern Yemen, which is some 120 kilometers east of the capital Sana’a.
Saudi Arabia and a number of its regional allies launched the devastating war on Yemen in March 2015 to bring Hadi, a staunch ally of Riyadh, back to power and crush the popular Houthi Ansarullah movement.
The Houthi fighters, however, have gone from strength to strength against the Saudi invaders and significantly helped the Yemeni army, leaving the Saudi-led coalition forces bogged down in Yemen.
Last week, the Yemeni forces also clashed with Hadi’s mercenaries near Ma’rib, killing at least 20 pro-Hadi militiamen and wounding some 30 others.
