The army killed more than 140 Shia rebels after the insurgents launched an assault on the government's mansion in the mountain city of Saada in northern Yemen on Sunday, a military official said. "The army killed more than 140 rebels after thwarting an attempted attack on Saada," the official said, describing the fighting as "the fiercest" since the start of the military offensive on August 11.
The rebels started their attack on the city at 3.00 am from three directions in an attempt to take the government's regional headquarters, but the army was able to foil the advance, the official said.
"So far more than 140 bodies have been found," he added. Meanwhile, sporadic clashes erupted in the Harf Sufyan area in the Amran province that borders Saada, witnesses said. The government on Friday announced a unilateral suspension of fighting, saying it would become a permanent cease-fire if the rebels, whom it accuses of being back by Iran, abided by certain conditions.
A rebel spokesman said they would "examine" the conditions but hostilities resumed on Saturday. The main government demand is that they "respect the cease-fire and the opening of roads, evacuate their positions and free captured civilians and soldiers."