Yemeni commander killed in missile attack by rebel Houthis

A Yemeni pro-government military commander along with at least seven soldiers were killed Thursday in Yemen's northeast province of Marib in a missile attack fired by rebel Houthi fighters, a military official said.

"Colonel Abdullah al-Rashedi, commander of the third battalion, and at least seven soldiers were killed and 20 others wounded in a rebel missile attack that targeted a government military base in Serwah district west of Marib early on Thursday," the official said.

Many of the injured were in critical conditions, the official said on condition of anonymity.

Marib, situated about 173 km northeast of the rebel-held capital Sanaa, has been recaptured by the government forces backed by a Saudi-led military coalition last year.

The oil-rich province has since been under frequent attacks from rebel Houthi fighters and their allied forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Last week, Houthis claimed they shot down a Saudi-led coalition Black Hawk helicopter in Marib, killing 12 military personnel aboard.

However, the Yemeni defense ministry's news website denied the rebel allegation and said the coalition helicopter was brought down by friendly fire "as a result of a misreading of the air defense system."

Saudi Arabia is leading a mostly Arab military coalition to fight Houthi rebels in Yemen in a bid to restore the internationally-recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who was ousted by Houthis in September 2014.

Houthis and Saleh militias have still controlled over most of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa.

The war has killed more than 10,000 Yemeni people, half of them civilians, and displaced over two millions, according to humanitarian agencies. Endit