Saudi army, Yemen's Houthi fighters trade artillery shelling on border

Fierce border battles erupted again on Saudi-Yemeni border Wednesday between the Saudi military forces and Yemen's Shiite Houthi fighters, a military official in the Yemeni capital told Xinhua.

The official, on condition of anonymity, said the two rival forces traded artillery shelling in Muthalath area of Shada district in the Yemeni far north border province of Saada, which is the main stronghold of Houthis, and the Saudi areas off Saada.

The Saudi artillery attack was covered by heavy air strikes from Saudi-led coalition warplanes against Houthi military sites.

Saudi residents near the Saudi border areas said on social media that many artillery shells fired by Houthis landed near their residential quarters, and the powerful explosions of the shells rocked the whole region.

No casualties were reported yet, but the official, who is monitoring front lines between both rival forces, said there were dozens of killed and injured from both sides without specifying exact number.

Houthi fighters, who seized control on north Yemen, have been fighting Saudi Arabia on borders since the Saudi-led military coalition intervened in the Yemeni conflict in March 2015 via an air and ground campaign.

The campaign is attempting to restore power to expelled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. More than 10,000 Yemenis have been killed, with over three million displaced. Endit