Yemen National Army units have liberated Madarat area, west of Taiz Governorate, from the Houthi and Saleh militias following a fierce battle. Yemen News Agency quoted a military source as saying that five of the coup militia soldiers were killed and that the army took complete control of Madarat.

The source added that Yemen National Army's artillery targeted positions in Tabbat Al Dhanin, Al Hangar and Mafraq Shar'ab and inflicted heavy losses upon the militias. "The military operation will continue until all western areas leading to Mafraq Al Mocha are cleared," the source said.

The clashes erupted on Friday when rebels staged a counterattack to recapture strategic locations in Medi district, setting off clashes that lasted for hours.

The official Facebook page of the 5th Military Region also said on Saturday that the coalition’s fighter jets enabled government forces to push back Al Houthi fighters after hampering their logistics. Army commanders said that at least 20 Al Houthis were killed or wounded. Government forces are currently battling the rebels in some districts in the city of Medi after liberating the city’s seaport and fighting their way into Al Houthis’ remaining areas.

The ministry also said that an Al Houthi field commander called Ali Ahmad Al Kuhlani was killed by government forces in Al Mashba’a region of Baydha district. Government forces launched on Friday an attack on Al Houthi positions Al Mashba’a killing Al Kuhlani and several of his associates and seizing arms and ammunition.

Heavy clashes were also reported in the northern province of Jawf where government forces regained control of an area close to the strategic Al Khanjar military camp in the districts of Khab and Al Sha’af and repelled attacks by Al Houthi fighters.

Meanwhile in Marib’s Serwah district, Al Houthi’s last stronghold in the province, fighting raged on Saturday on two rugged mountains that overlook the district’s centre as government forces seek to completely cut the rebels off an important mountainous route that supplies their fighters in Marib with arms and ammunition from Sana’a.

Battles in Serwah have recently escalated as government forces launched an offensive aimed at liberating the district, opening a new front inside Al-Houthi-held Sana’a district and silencing Al Houthi rockets that hit Marib city, the base of thousands of government and coalition forces.

In Taiz, Yemen’s third largest city, an Al Houthi sniper on Friday gunned down a 12-year-old boy when he and his family were returning to their home in Kelaba neighbourhood, northeastern the city. Several civilians were also injured in Al Houthi heavy shelling on populated residential areas in the city. Al Houthi fighters still occupy most of the city’s outskirts while government forces control the downtown and the western part of the city.