10 Yemenis killed in clashes between tribesmen and Houthis

At least 10 Yemenis were killed Friday in renewed clashes between armed tribesmen and Shia Houthi militants in the northeast of the country, an official source said.

According to the source, the clashes erupted when Houthi militants attacked Al-Safraa area on the border between Al-Jawf and Maarib provinces, prompting local tribesmen to take up arms against the attackers.

The clashes left two tribesmen and eight Houthis dead, the source told Anadolu Agency on the condition of anonymity.

The source added clashes continued to rage in the area, with both sides receiving reinforcements.

The violence came one day after a committee appointed by Yemen's presidency announced failure to restore an earlier ceasefire between the army and allied tribes on one hand and Shia Houthi militants on the other and withdrew from the disputed area.

Committee member Mohamed Daraan blamed the Houthi group for the deadlock, saying it “repeatedly stalled a deal.”

Clashes first erupted in Al-Jawf between Houthis and local tribesmen in April, resulting in casualties on both sides. 

A few weeks ago, the mediation committee succeeded in forging a temporary ceasefire, but this proved short-lived.

Al-Jawf is strategically important in that it is located near Yemen's eastern Maarib province, the center of the country's oil production.

Yemen has been dogged by turmoil since pro-democracy protests forced autocratic president Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down in 2012 after 33 years in power.