Yemeni forces have claimed taking control of a border region in the north in a fierce battle against the Houthi resistance, Press TV reported.
"Violent fighting was taking place in the middle of the day on the Malahidh front after the army took total control of Jebel Khazaen," said an army spokesman Askar Zuail on Monday, quoted by AFP.
Jebel Khazaen is to the north of Malahidh, a region located west of the hilly Sa'ada province, which has been a stronghold of the resistance and a key battleground since the army launched its Operation 'Scorched Earth' against the Shia fighters on August 11.
The region borders Saudi Arabia, whose armed forces have joined the Yemeni army in the crackdown against the Houthis.
Meanwhile, the Yemeni Defense Ministry said earlier Monday that the army regained control of several hills in the Gharaz area, southeast of Sa'ada, and cleared them of landmines.
According to the ministry, three Houthi fighters were arrested during the army assaults in Sa'ada, 240 kilometers north of Sana'a, and two more in Aleb, a frontier post north of Sa'ada.
Yemen claims advances against Houthis in north
