10 rebels killed in Saudi-led airstrikes on Houthi reinforcement troops in Yemen

ADEN, Yemen, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The Saudi Arabia-led coalition killed at least 10 Houthi rebels and injured 17 others on Thursday in airstrikes against Houthi reinforcement troops near Yemen's southern province of Lahj, a military official told Xinhua.

The coalition's fighter jets carried out about five airstrikes that struck the pro-Houthi troops in Hoymi area near Lahj province, the local military official said on condition of anonymity.

"The airstrikes precisely hit the convoy of the reinforcement troops dispatched from the neighboring province of Taiz to attack the pro-government forces based in Lahj," the source said.

He added that the reinforcement troops failed to reach Lahj's outskirts and lost about three vehicles that were completely destroyed in the bombing.

The pro-Houthi forces have repeatedly attempted to infiltrate and launch attacks against the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces stationed in Lahj's military base.

A number of previous attempts by the government forces failed to make progress to kick the Houthis out of the neighboring provinces such as Taiz.

The Saudi-led military coalition has intensified its air campaign against Houthi positions in and around the Houthi-held capital Sanaa and other northern provinces since Houthis killed former President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Dec. 4, 2017.

The coalition has intervened in the Yemeni conflict in March 2015 to roll back Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels, and backed internationally-recognized President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. Enditem