12 Houthi rebels captured by gov't forces in central Yemen

ADEN, Yemen, April 8 (Xinhua) -- A total of 12 fighters of the Shiite Houthi group were captured following fierce armed confrontations with the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces in the central province of al-Bayda on Sunday.

According to the country's Defence Ministry website, "the national forces engaged in intense battles with the Houthi rebels and succeeded in seizing control over a number of villages in al-Bayda province."

The statement said the intense battles that continued for several hours with the support of the Saudi-led fighter jets ended in killing several Houthi rebels and capturing 12 others.

A tribal source in the area confirmed to Xinhua that the Saudi-led warplanes also destroyed two weapons depots belonging to the Houthis during the aerial bombardment.

He added that nine pro-government soldiers were injured during the fighting and the captured Houthi militants were transferred to an army base under the control of the Saudi-led coalition for questioning.

The Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces mobilized hundreds of soldiers and declared its determination to take control over al-Bayda province from the Houthis, but no significant progress was achieved during the fighting.

Saudi Arabia is leading a mostly Arab military coalition to support the internationally-recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and roll back the Iranian-allied Houthi rebels in Yemen since March 2015.

Houthis have been controlling much of Yemen's north by force, including the capital Sanaa since 2014.

The war has killed more than 10,000 Yemenis, mostly civilians, and displaced over 3 million, according to humanitarian agencies. Enditem