Revolutionary Yemeni Ansarullah Movement recaptures district near Sana’a from militants

Yemen’s Revolutionary Houthi movement says its Ansarullah fighters have managed to retake the Arhab district near the capital Sana’a from al-Qaeda-linked militants, Press TV reports.

According to Press TV, the Ansarullah fighters on Sunday took full control of the Arhab region, which was previously under the control of militants loyal to Yemen’s al-Qaeda-linked Islah party.

Militants killed dozens of Ansarullah fighters in the clashes that broke out earlier Sunday.

Battles also raged on Saturday in the village of Darb Obaid after Ansarullah fighters raided the house of tribal leader Yehia Taqi Markoub.

Markoub, accused by the Houthis of possessing weapons and cooperating with the al-Qaeda terrorist group, managed to escape to another safe location without being harmed.

Over the past months, al-Qaeda militants have frequently carried out attacks on Yemen’s security forces and have been also locked in deadly battles with Shia Ansarullah fighters.

Yemen’s central government has so far failed to confront the terrorist threat. Ansarullah fighters, however, have intervened to fill the vacuum and have driven al-Qaeda militants out of many areas in the country.

The movement also played a major role in the ouster of Yemen’s former dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh in 2012.