16 dead in Houthi offensive against Yemen pro-govt forces

Houthi rebels in Yemen on Saturday launched an all-out military offensive against pro-government forces in Dhalea province, leaving 16 killed from both sides.

"Several of the Houthi rebels heavily attacked the sites of the pro-government forces located in Al Husha district to the western part of Dhalea province," Xinhua news agency quoted a military source as saying.

The source confirmed that the joint pro-government Yemeni forces succeeded in repelling the Houthi attack following hours of intense battles.

The intense fighting and exchange of artillery shelling resulted in the killing of 11 Houthi fighters and five pro-government soldiers in the area, he said.

More than 13 Houthi fighters and 11 pro-government soldiers were injured during the fighting, he added.

Last year, the Iran-allied Houthi fighters launched a series of intense armed attacks on the positions of the Yemeni government forces and succeeded in seizing key areas in the outskirts of Dhalea.

The areas in the north and west of Dhalea have been witnessing non-stop fighting between government forces and Houthi fighters for about four years.

Yemen has been plagued by a civil war since late 2014 when Houthi militias forced the internationally-recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi into exile.