Yemen fighting: 117 killed in four days as government forces battle Houthis in west

At least 117 people have been killed in four days of intense fighting between Yemeni government forces and the Houthi group in the western provinces of Taiz and Hodeidah according to medical officialsA senior medical official accompanying government forces on the western coast frontlines told Xinhua News Agency on condition of anonymity that 54 government soldiers had been killed and many others wounded since the fighting began on ThursdayTwo medical sources at Houthirun hospitals in western Hodeidah province said 63 Houthi members had been killed during the same period taking the combined death toll from both sides to 117Airstrikes target Houthi positions in Hodeidah and TaizYemeni government warplanes carried out airstrikes on Houthiheld areas in Hodeidah and Taiz on Friday supporting government troops engaged in fighting against a major Houthi offensive near the strategically important Bab alMandab StraitThe airstrikes came as fighting continued across several fronts in the two provinces The medical official said Houthi fighters had made rapid advances over the previous 24 hoursAccording to the official government warplanes targeted Houthi positions and movements in areas where ground fighting was taking place Details of the strikes including any additional casualties were not immediately availableThe Bab alMandab Strait which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden is a major international shipping route and has strategic importance for Yemen and the wider regionGovernment forces launch counterattack in western TaizA government military official told Xinhua also on condition of anonymity that government forces had recaptured several key positions in western Taiz during a swift overnight counterattackThe positions were retaken hours after Houthi fighters had seized them according to the official The latest clashes have involved multiple fronts across the two western provinces as government forces attempt to halt the Houthi advanceThe reported casualties could not be independently verified The conflicting sides in Yemen have regularly provided casualty figures that are difficult to verify independently because of restrictions on access to active combat zonesFighting raises fears of wider escalationThe latest escalation is among the most intense ground fighting reported in western Yemen in recent years The renewed clashes have raised concerns that the country could see a return to broader hostilities after a period in which fighting along several frontlines had easedThe renewed violence comes against the backdrop of Yemens prolonged political and military conflict which has drawn in regional powers and contributed to a severe humanitarian crisisThe fighting has also increased concerns about the security of areas surrounding the Bab alMandab Strait one of the key maritime routes connecting shipping lanes between the Red Sea and the Gulf of AdenYemen conflict has continued for more than a decadeYemen has been embroiled in conflict since late 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and large parts of northern Yemen The takeover prompted a Saudiled coalition to intervene in 2015 in support of the internationally recognised Yemeni governmentWith inputs from IANS