Sanna, September 27: The Yemeni Army Saturday said at least 15 rebels were killed in clashes in the north, bringing the number of militants killed in the area in the past two days to 40, according to a media report.
The army was confronted with the rebels in the western part of Saada province in northern Yemen, killing 15 of them and wounding several others, Qatar-based Arab TV channel Al Jazeera reported citing a military source.
According to the source, the army has successfully cleared the area of the Houthi fighters and pressed ahead towards the area of Malaheez near Saudi borders to force the rebels to concentrate in one of the strongholds there.
On the other hand, the rebels said they stopped an attack on the Yemeni Army in the mountainous area of Harf Sufian and struck a security point in the area. They added that they seized a military site near borders with Saudi Arabia.
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh said Saturday his government would not backtrack from its war on Houthi rebels even if it continued for years.
“We will never retreat; let the war continue for five or six years,” Saleh said during the celebrations marking the 47th anniversary of the Yemeni revolution.
He said the rebels wasted many chances to set peace in the country and their acts jerked the government to resume its fight against them.
The Yemeni Army launched its ‘Scorched Earth’ operation against Houthi rebels Aug 11.
–IANS–