Houthi Rebels Kill at Least 14 Saudi Mercenaries in Southwestern Yemen – Reports

At least 14 Saudi mercenaries were killed on Tuesday by Yemeni Shia Houthi rebels in the country's southwestern province of Taizz, local media reported.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The mercenaries were killed when they tried to approach Houthi's strategically important camp of Khalid bin al-Waled, the Saba news agency reported.

In a separate incident, Houthis hit a military vehicle, killing three mercenaries and injuring their commander Hamid Shukri, according to the media outlet.

The Houthi rebels shelled Saudi troops deployed in Saudi Arabia’s southwestern province of Najran. The exact number of victims of the incident remains unknown.

The rebels also shelled Saudi troops and mercenaries in the Saudi province of Jazan.

Yemen has been engulfed in a violent conflict between the government headed by President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and the Houthi Shia movement, also known as Ansar Allah, backed by army units loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Since March 2015, the Saudi-led coalition of mostly Persian Gulf countries has been carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis at Hadi's request. Millions of people remain in need of immediate aid, according to the United Nations.