Shiite rebels and gunmen from the powerful Hashid tribe in north Yemen clashed for a third straight day on Wednesday, with the fighting intensifying, tribal sources told AFP.
The fighting first broke out on Monday when Shiite Huthi rebels attempted to take over the towns of Wadi Khaywan and Usaimat, strongholds of the Hashid tribe in Amran province, they said.
The Shiites launched the attacks in retaliation for the Hashid tribe's support for hardline Sunni Salafist groups fighting Huthis in Dammaj, the Shiites' stronghold in the northern province of Saada, the sources said.
According to witnesses, the fighting has left dozens dead and wounded. AFP could not confirm the toll due to the difficulty of accessing the area.
The tribal sources said the fighting had intensified on Wednesday, while the Shiite Huthi Ansarullah (Partisans of God) group said on their website http://www.ansaruallah.com/ that they had taken control of several Hashid strongholds.
During the battles, a Hashid chief, Hashim al-Ahmar, escaped an attack but his guard and four of his relatives were killed, tribal sources said.
Yemeni President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi on Tuesday sent a delegation to try to broker a truce but they have yet to make contact with leaders from the two sides.
The fighting first broke out on Monday when Shiite Huthi rebels attempted to take over the towns of Wadi Khaywan and Usaimat, strongholds of the Hashid tribe in Amran province, they said.
The Shiites launched the attacks in retaliation for the Hashid tribe's support for hardline Sunni Salafist groups fighting Huthis in Dammaj, the Shiites' stronghold in the northern province of Saada, the sources said.
According to witnesses, the fighting has left dozens dead and wounded. AFP could not confirm the toll due to the difficulty of accessing the area.
The tribal sources said the fighting had intensified on Wednesday, while the Shiite Huthi Ansarullah (Partisans of God) group said on their website http://www.ansaruallah.com/ that they had taken control of several Hashid strongholds.
During the battles, a Hashid chief, Hashim al-Ahmar, escaped an attack but his guard and four of his relatives were killed, tribal sources said.
Yemeni President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi on Tuesday sent a delegation to try to broker a truce but they have yet to make contact with leaders from the two sides.
