Yemeni Houthis push out militants from Jabal Ras

Houthi movement’s Ansarullah revolutionaries have succeeded in taking control of the Jabal Ras area in western Yemen, making fresh gains against al-Qaeda-affiliated militants.

The Houthis pushed out the militants from Jabal Ras in the Yemeni Province of Al-Hudaydah on Monday.

Government officials have not made any comment on the current situation in the region yet.

The al-Qaeda-linked militants captured the Jabal Ras area, located 226 kilometers (140 miles) west of the capital, Sana’a, Saturday, after attacking a building which housed security forces.

“Nearly 19 policemen were killed Saturday in an attack by al-Qaeda militants that simultaneously targeted two checkpoints and the police headquarters,” Yemen’s Interior Ministry announced on its website.

Al-Qaeda militants frequently carry out attacks on Yemen’s security forces and have been locked in deadly battles with Shia Ansarullah fighters.

Meanwhile, al-Qaeda-linked violence against Yemeni security forces has grown since February 2012, when President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi came to power in a one-man election backed by Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Hadi replaced long-time dictator, Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was ousted after a year of mass protests across the country. Ansarullah revolutionary fighters played an instrumental role in the overthrow of Saleh.