12 Houthis Killed İn Qaeda Attack İn Yemen's Al-Bayda

At least 12 Houthi militants have been killed in an attack by Al-Qaeda-affiliated militants in the central Yemeni province of Al-Bayda, tribal sources said Tuesday.



"Militants affiliated with Ansar al-Sharia group attacked several Houthi sites late Monday in Manaseh region in Al-Bayda, killing 12 Houthi militants," one of the sources told The Anadolu Agency, requesting anonymity.



Clashes erupted between the two sides following the attack, but it is yet unclear whether there were any causalities, the sources said.



Al-Bayda has recently been the scene of numerous confrontations between Al-Qaida militants and armed Sunni tribesmen on one side and members of the Shiite Houthi militant group on the other.



Sunni tribesmen reportedly enjoy the support of Al-Qaeda, which is said to remain active in fractious Yemen.



Tribes of the province accuse the Yemeni army of abetting the Houthis – allegations the army denies.



Earlier this month, the Houthis – who have been in control of capital Sanaa since last September – issued what they describe as a constitutional declaration dissolving Yemen's parliament and establishing a 551-member "transitional council."



The declaration was rejected by most of Yemen's political forces – along with some neighboring countries – which described it as a coup against constitutional legitimacy.



www.aa.com.tr/en - Sana