Saudi-led coalition says it killed 130 Houthis in 24 hours
The Saudi Arabian-led Arab coalition in Yemen announced Tuesday that it killed 130 Houthi militants in military operations in the past 24 hours.
But the Houthi rebel group said only 12 of its fighters were killed.
"We carried out 27 targeting operations to vehicles and militants of the Houthi militia in the provinces of Marib and al-Bayda (central Yemen) during the past 24 hours_" the Kingdom s official SPA news agency cited a statement by the coalition.
Operations "destroyed 16 military vehicles and eliminated 130 Houthi terrorist militants" and it carried out four operations in Yemen s western coast to support the coastal forces and protect civilians.
The Houthi-run Saba news agency quoted an unnamed security source who said_ 12 of its fighters_ most of them were holding officer ranks_ were killed by coalition warplanes."
The fighters were killed on a number of fronts and were buried in the capital Sanaa_ the source said.
Since February_ the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels have stepped up attacks to take control of oil-rich Marib province_ one of the most important strongholds of the legitimate government and home to the headquarters of Yemen s Defense Ministry.
Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014_ when Houthi rebels captured much of the country_ including the capital_ Sanaa.
A Saudi-led coalition aimed at reinstating the Yemeni government has worsened the situation and caused one of the world s worst man-made humanitarian crises_ with 233_000 people killed_ nearly 80%_ or about 30 million needing humanitarian assistance and protection and more than 13 million in danger of starvation_ according to UN estimates.
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