Violence kills 11 in southwestern Yemen

Three government forces and eight Houthi rebels were killed in clashes in Yemen's southwestern Taiz province on Tuesday, according to a government commander.

The casualties occurred when government forces attacked Houthi positions in Al-Houd, south of Taiz province, Army Col. Abdul Basset al-Bahr told Anadolu Agency.

He said the attack aimed to seize control of the Houthi-held area.

A Houthi spokesman could not be reached for comment.

Last month, pro-government forces overran Al-Salo district in Taiz from Houthi rebels, who later managed to recapture it.

Impoverished Yemen has remained in a state of civil war since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

The conflict escalated when Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a massive air campaign in 2015 aimed at reversing Houthi military gains and shoring up Yemen's embattled government.

Over 3 million people have fled their homes since the onset of the conflict, and more than 20 million throughout the country are in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).