Over 140 dead in clashes between the Houthis and government forces in Yemen

More than 140 people were killed in clashes between pro-government Yemeni forces and Houthi rebels in southwestern Yemen between Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, according to sources from both sides cited by AFP and Le Figaro.

Two military officials from the Saudi-backed forces said that 84 soldiers had died, most of them in rocket attacks. On the other side, four Houthi sources reported that 57 rebels had been killed during the same period.

The escalation comes after Yemen returned to war in July, becoming the latest country drawn into the regional conflict triggered by the U.S.-Israeli offensive against Iran at the end of February.

Subsequently, attacks attributed to Saudi Arabia targeted the Houthi-controlled airport in Sanaa after Iran had sent a plane there carrying a rebel delegation without Riyadh’s approval. Riyadh controls Yemen’s airspace.

In response, the Houthi rebels announced a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia and began attacking ships and infrastructure on Saudi territory, including a refinery.️ionary hereshold 15 country? no. final exact JSON.