Over 60 fighters killed in Yemen

DUBAI: Over 60 fighters were killed in clashes in Yemen on Friday between Iran-backed Huthi rebels and government forces in the strategic northern province of Marib, government sources said.

The dead included at least 27 pro-government forces and 34 Huthi rebels, a government source told AFP, adding it was the “most violent” day of clashes since fighting erupted earlier this month.

The rebels moved into hills near a dam southwest of the city of Marib — the last major toehold in the north for Yemen’s Saudi-backed government — with the area witnessing “the fiercest battles”, according to the source.