ADEN: Yemen’s Houthi rebels killed 16 troops in an attack on government-aligned forces south of the port city of Hodeidah, two medical officials told AFP on Sunday, in some of the most violent fighting between the sides in years.
The two medical sources said hospitals in the area on the Red Sea coast received 16 dead from pro-government forces and 22 wounded.
Earlier, an officer with the government-aligned forces in Jabal Dubas in the Hays district, where the clashes took place, gave a provisional toll of 14 troops and 23 injured in “fierce fighting.”
The officer said the Iran-backed Houthis briefly took control of pro-government positions in the clashes, which began late on Friday, before a counterattack to retake them concluded at dawn on Saturday.
“This was the deadliest Houthi attack in years,” the officer said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
