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Three Saudi-backed commanders killed in Yemen

Wednesday, 06 April 2016 5:52 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 06 April 2016 5:51 PM ]

A Yemeni boy carries a ladder in front of buildings that were damaged by airstrikes carried out by Saudi Arabia on March 23, 2016 in the UNESCO-listed old city of Yemeni capital Sana'a. (AFP photo)

The Yemeni army and Ansarullah fighters have engaged in fierce clashes with militants loyal to the Saudi-backed fugitive former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, in northern Yemen, leaving three field commanders dead.

Almashhad-alyemeni, a pro-Hadi website, said on Wednesday that a leader from the Salafi Islah party and two field commanders were killed in the clashes in the northern area of Naqil al-Aqabah of al-Jawf province on Tuesday.

According to the report, pro-Hadi forces were sent to capture the area of al-Aqabah in al-Jawf from the Yemeni forces on Monday.

The news comes as the Yemeni forces continued to make gains against the Saudi-backed forces on Wednesday as Yemen's army and popular committees took control of the strategic military base of al-Shabaka, which overlooks the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, in Ta’izz Province, according to al-Masirah television channel.

Also on Wednesday, the Yemeni security forces raided a hideout of al-Qaeda militants in al-Qadad area of Dhamar Province, killing two militants and injuring four others. Three terrorists were also arrested.

The forces also seized the terrorists’ weapons and explosive belts during the raid.

Meanwhile, Saudi warplanes continued to bomb the Yemeni provinces of Ma’rib, Ta’izz and al-Jawf, but there were no immediate reports of casualties so far.

Saudi Arabia launched its military aggression against Yemen in March last year in a bid to bring the country’s former president, who is a staunch ally of Riyadh, back to power and undermine the Houthi Ansarullah movement.

More than 8,400 people have been killed and at least 16,000 others injured since the onset of the aggression.

The Saudi strikes have also taken a heavy toll on the country’s facilities and infrastructure, destroying many hospitals, schools, and factories.

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