Attack by Yemen's Houthis kills 14 government troops: Official

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels killed 14 troops in an attack south of the port city of Hodeidah, a military official aligned with the country's internationally recognised government said on Sunday.

The official said pro-government forces had repelled the attack in Hays district, south of Hodeidah, following clashes that lasted several hours at dawn on Saturday.

He added that the fighting also resulted in casualties among Houthi fighters, although he did not specify the number killed or wounded.

The Houthis have been at war with the government since 2015 in a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and triggered one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

The rebels control Yemen's capital, Sanaa, and much of the country's north, including Hodeidah on the Red Sea coast, while the internationally recognised government holds much of the south.

Although fighting has largely subsided since a UN-brokered truce in 2022, tensions remain high.

On Friday, the Houthis threatened Saudi Arabia's airports and other vital infrastructure, accusing the kingdom—a key backer of Yemen's Aden-based government—of preventing an Iranian aircraft from landing.

The Houthis are part of what Iran describes as the "Axis of Resistance", a regional alliance opposed to Israel and the United States.