Yemen's Houthi rebels seize capital of al-Jawf province
Sanaa/Xinhua/UNI: Yemen's Houthi rebels on Sunday seized control of al-Hazm, the capital of the northeastern province of al-Jawf, after weeks of fighting with the government forces, officials from both sides said.
The rebels entered the city from seven directions, forcing the government forces to retreat back to the adjacent province of Marib, the sources said.
The Saudi-led military coalition, which backs the Yemeni government forces, launched airstrikes on the rebel positions in al-Hazm.
Dozens of fighters from both Yemeni warring forces were killed or wounded in the Sunday battles, the officials said, without specifying a number.
In January, the Houthis seized control of the mountains overlooking the roads linking the capital city of Sanaa with al-Jawf and Marib provinces.
The Houthi-run al-Masirah TV said the control of al-Jawf would pave the way for seizing control of the oil-rich Marib province.
Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized control of much of the country's north and forced the Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of Sanaa.
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