Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen killed 14 soldiers in an attack south of the port city of Hodeidah, a military official affiliated with the country’s internationally recognized government told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Sunday.

The official said that pro-government forces repelled the attack in the Hayes area, south of Hodeidah, during “clashes that lasted several hours at dawn on Saturday.”

He added that “the fighting resulted in deaths and injuries among the (Houthi) ranks,” without specifying the number of casualties among the opposing force.

The Houthis have been at war with the government since 2015 in a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and caused a major humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

The rebels control Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, and much of the north, including Hodeidah on Yemen’s western Red Sea coast, while the internationally recognized government holds much of the south.

Fighting between the two sides has largely frozen since the ceasefire negotiated by the UN in 2022.

However, on Friday, the Houthis threatened airports and vital assets belonging to Saudi Arabia, a key supporter of the Aden-based Yemeni government.

The rebel group, part of Iran’s “axis of resistance” against Israel and the United States, accused the kingdom of attempting to prevent an Iranian plane from landing.

SEE ALSO: Massive Crowd at the Great Mosalla for a Prayer in Memory of Ali Khamenei | AlphaNews

Source: KYPE