18 Houthis Killed İn Clashes With Tribesmen İn N. Yemen

Eighteen members of the Houthi militant group were killed Sunday and 22 others wounded in violent clashes with armed Arhab tribesmen in a northern Yemeni district that bears the tribe's name, tribal sources said.



"Violent clashes erupted between Houthi militants and armed Arhab tribesmen which left 18 militants dead and 22 others wounded," a tribal source told The Anadolu Agency.



The clashes began when Houthi armed militants blew up the house of tribal leader Yehia Taqi Markoub in the village of Darb Obaid of the Arhab district, he said.



Markoub was able to escape to another safe location without being harmed, the source added.



Houthi leaders could not be immediately reached for comment.



Since they took control of capital Sanaa in late September, the Houthis have sought to expand their influence to other parts of the country farther afield.



The Houthis' growing power in fractious Yemen has raised fears of sectarian conflict in the poor Arab country, which has remained in turmoil since a 2011 popular uprising ended the decades-long rule of president Ali Abdullah Saleh one year later.



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