SANAA, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Yemeni government forces have recaptured two strategic villages from Houthi rebels in the northwestern province of Hajjah, a local security official said on Saturday.
The fighting has killed at least 15 fighters from both sides since the troops launched the attack on Friday to retake the two villages of al-Hamra and al-Hallah, the pro-government official said on condition of anonymity.
The ground offensive was backed by the Saudi-led coalition warplanes, he added.
The Saudi-led coalition has been intervening in the civil war in Yemen since 2015 to support the internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after the Houthi rebels forced him into exile and seized Yemen's northern provinces, including the capital of Sanaa.
