ADEN, Yemen, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 30 people were killed on Monday as fighting continues intensively between Yemen's government and the Houthi militia in the country's central province of al-Bayda, a military official told Xinhua.
"Battles intensified after the Houthi militia carried out new attacks on positions of the government forces in Qaniya area in north of al-Bayda province," the local military official said on condition of anonymity.
The source confirmed that the fighting resulted in the killing of six members of the government forces and about 24 Houthis, and wounding dozens from both sides.
He pointed out that the battles are still continuing between the two sides, using various kinds of weapons as Houthis attempt to advance into the government-held areas.
Another military source of the government forces confirmed to Xinhua that they repulsed armed attacks carried out by the Houthis in different areas of al-Bayda during the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the Houthis-affiliated Masirah television network reported that warplanes of the Saudi Arabia-led coalition launched 37 airstrikes against a number of areas in al-Bayda.
The Iran-allied Houthi militia recently intensified their military operations against the government-controlled areas in different parts of the war-ravaged Arab country.
Following the recent Houthi military escalation, the rebels succeeded in capturing key areas from the government forces that withdrew from their sites in al-Bayda and elsewhere in Yemen.
Yemen has been locked into a civil war since the Iran-backed Shiite Houthi militia overran much of the country militarily and seized all northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa, in 2014.
Saudi Arabia has been leading an Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after Houthis forced him into exile. Enditem
