Yemen warplanes pound Houthis in Al-Jawf

Yemeni military aircraft have struck several sites of Shiite Houthi militant group and killed an unknown number of fighters in the northern province of Al-Jawf, tribal sources said Sunday.

A security official, who asked not to be named, confirmed to Anadolu reporters that the Yemeni Air Force struck several sites of the Shiite group in Al-Gheil.

No Houthi member was immediately available for comment on the tribal sources' allegations.

The northern province of Al-Jawf has recently turned into a battleground between the army and allied tribesmen on one hand and, on the other, Houthi militants who are reportedly fighting for control of roads linking the capital Sanaa with the oil production province of Marib.

Violence first erupted in the flashpoint province in April, resulting in casualties on both sides.

A few weeks ago, a presidential mediation committee succeeded in brokering a temporary ceasefire between the warring camps, but this proved short-lived.

The latest round of fighting comes as thousands of Houthi supporters have been staging massive protests in Sanaa for the last several weeks to demand the dismissal of the government and the reversal of an earlier government decision to slash fuel subsidies.

The group has been long accused by local tribes of attempting to seize control of their territory in the north of the country.

Earlier confrontations in the country's north between the Houthis and Yemeni army troops have left hundreds dead and injured on both sides.

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.