Yemen: Fierce fighting in the capital Sanaa kills more than 50 people

Yemeni security forces launched counterattacks and ambushed opposition forces, killing at least 40 gunmen.

At least 10 Yemeni government soldiers and about 40 rival gunmen were killed in fierce clashes that suddenly broke out yesterday afternoon in the capital Sanaa, Yemen.

Anjazeera TV channel quoted many witnesses as saying that the fighting broke out after gunmen from the Al Huthi rebel group based in Sada province in northern Yemen suddenly entered the capital and launched fierce attacks with mortars and other heavy weapons on a military checkpoint of the army, near an airport in the north of the capital Sanaa.

Yemeni Government Forces (Photo: EPA)

Yemeni security forces launched counterattacks and ambushed the opposition forces, killing at least 40 gunmen. On the Yemeni side, at least 10 soldiers were killed and dozens more were injured.

In addition to the attack on the military checkpoint near the airport north of the capital Sanaa, Al Huthi gunmen also shelled the Yemeni state television building in Sanaa. However, casualties and damage in the attack have not been announced.

Faced with the sudden escalation of fighting in the capital Sanaa, Yemeni President Mansour Hadi convened an emergency security meeting with many ministers in the Government to discuss the situation.

According to Aljazeera, the meeting mentioned the role of Iran as well as the involvement of former President Abdullah Saleh in the recent unstable security developments in Yemen./.

According to VOV