Forces backing Yemeni President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi recaptured an important military base from Houthi rebels on Tuesday, as they continue a push to reverse the Houthi campaign that forced Hadi to flee the country in March.
After several days of fighting, the pro-government forces, backed by airstrikes from a Saudi-led coalition, seized the Al-Anad air base located about 60 kilometers from the port city of Aden.
Pro-government sources said the fighting left 70 Houthi rebels dead and dozens captured, with at least 24 loyalist troops killed.
The Al-Anad base was once an important intelligence site used by U.S. forces in their campaign of drone strikes against the Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.
With the help of the Saudi-led airstrikes and shipments of weapons and vehicles from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the pro-government forces have made recent progress, chiefly regaining control of Aden last month.
The Houthis still control large areas of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, which they seized nearly a year ago.