Yemen's Houthis Reinforced Amid Clashes With Al-Qaeda

Houthi militants in Yemen's central city of Rada'a have received reinforcements, eyewitnesses said Tuesday, amid continued fighting between the Shiite militant group and Al-Qaeda.



A number of eyewitnesses told Anadolu Agency that several armored vehicles belonging to the Houthis had arrived in Rada'a from the northern Dhamar province.



Earlier Tuesday, heavy fighting broke out again between Houthi militants and Al-Qaeda in parts of Rada'a.



Houthi militants destroyed a number of homes in Rada'a, claiming they belonged to Al-Qaeda militants, eyewitnesses said.



A local official told AA that the clashes, which have remained ongoing for several days now, had left over 70 people dead and scores injured – mostly Houthis – in less than 48 hours.



The Houthis have remained in control of capital Sanaa since September 21, when the Houthi leadership penned a deal with the Yemeni presidency aimed at ending a weeks-long political crisis.



Since then, the Houthis have attempted to extend their influence to other parts of the country.



Yemen has been dogged by political turmoil since a popular uprising that erupted in 2011 toppled autocratic president Ali Abdullah Saleh one year later.



Some Arab capitals have accused Shiite Iran of backing Yemen's ongoing Houthi insurgency.



By Mohamed al-Samei



englishnews@aa.com.tr



www.aa.com.tr/en - Sana