Yemeni Houthi fighters backed by government forces drove the local wing of al Qaeda from one of its last strongholds in central Yemen on Friday in intense fighting that killed at least 35 people, tribal sources said.
The Houthis’ Ansarullah movement has become the main political force in Yemen since capturing Sanaa in September and then pushing south and west into al-Bayda province, where Ansar al-Sharia has allied itself with local tribes.
Tribal sources said the Houthis had met stiff resistance as they pushed towards the village of Khobza district using Katuysha rockets and heavy artillery.
On Thursday, the Houthis, who had for years complained of discrimination against their northern homeland, endorsed a new government in Sanaa to replace the one they had forced to step down.
