Over 100 killed in Yemen clashes

Sanaa, March 7 : Violent clashes erupted between Yemens government forces and the Houthi militia in different areas of the country in the past 24 hours, claiming the lives of more than 100 people, according to a military official.

The official told Xinhua news agency that "the escalating fighting rocked a number of areas in the countrys southwestern province of Taiz, and other battles heavily intensified in the oil-rich province of Marib" on Saturday.

"The Houthis continued to carry out all-out military operations against the government-controlled areas in Marib and Taiz in an attempt to achieve new military progress."He said that nearly 60 fighters of the Houthi militia and 36 soldiers of the government forces were killed within the past 24 hours in Maribs intense fighting.

The fighting also left dozens of injured affiliated with the two-warring sides in the turbulent areas of Marib, according to the official.Supporting the government forces on-ground, warplanes of the Saudi Arabia-led coalition continued to launch air raids against the Houthi-held sites in Marib.

The Houthi group announced that the Saudi Arabia-led coalition coalition carried out more than 26 air strikes, but gave no details about casualties.A government official told Xinhua by phone that "the areas located in Taizs eastern part and other areas in the citys countryside are witnessing violent battles between the two sides".

He said that a number of Houthi shells landed on the government-controlled residential neighbourhoods, causing casualties among civilians.The local official confirmed that Taizs fighting left about 12 people killed and 15 others injured.

The Yemeni government forces, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, have been locked in clashes with the Iran-allied Houthi military in the north, east and west of Taiz since April 2015.Yemen has been mired into a civil war since late 2014, when Houthis overran much of the country and seized all northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa.