Yemeni pro-government forces retake key seaside town

Yemeni pro-government forces retake key seaside town
Yemeni security officials say pro-government forces have driven the Houthi rebels from the strategic seaside town of Dhubab, while coalition warplanes hit the rebels in the west of Marib province.
2 min read
09 October, 2015
Taiz is in government hands, but is besieged by Houthis [Getty]

Yemeni security officials say pro-government forces have driven the Houthi rebels from a strategic seaside town after three days of heavy clashes that killed nearly 100 fighters.

The officials, who remain neutral in the conflict that has splintered Yemen's armed forces, said pro-government fighters seized the town of Dhubab on Friday, cutting off rebel supply lines to Yemen's third largest city, Taiz.

Taiz is in government hands, but is besieged by Houthis. Securing it would allow pro-government forces to push north toward the rebel-held capital, Sanaa.

Also on Friday, warplanes from the Saudi-led coalition airstrikes targeted the Houthis in the west of Marib province., amid ongoing clashes between them and forces loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

Pro-Hadi fighters backed by Gulf forces have been pushing to regain control of Marib province in an apparent bid to advance on Sanaa.

They set their sights on Marib after pushing the rebels out of five southern provinces, including the port city of Aden, to which the government returned last month after six months in exile.

Raids also targeted rebels in Hodeida, in western Yemen, other military sources said.

After they overran Sanaa unopposed in September 2014, the rebels widened their control to several Yemeni provinces, advancing in March on Aden, where Hadi had taken refuge before fleeing to Riyadh.

The coalition then launched a fierce air campaign against them and allied loyal to ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The coalition has come under mounting criticism over the civilian death toll of its campaign.