Houthi rebels kill and wound Yemen troops

Houthi rebel attacks Thursday in central and eastern Yemen killed at

least 30 government troops and wounded almost 50 others.

This marks a major escalation since the de facto truce in April 2020

which halted fighting between the Iranian-backed Houthis and a Saudi-led

coalition backing the internationally-recognized government.

Houthi Brigadier General Yahya Saree said later in a video statement

that his group acted in response to Saudi-forces military buildups,

claiming that such reinforcements were in their final stages and aimed

to further escalate tensions.

Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war sice 2014, when the Houthis

seized the capital of Sanaa, forcing the government into exile in Saudi

Arabia.

A Saudi-led coalition intervened months later and has been battling the

rebels since 2015 to try and restore the governemnt back to power.