Yemen fighting kills Shiite rebels

Six Shiite rebels and two soldiers were killed near Sanaa on Thursday as Huthis continue to push south towards the Yemeni capital, tribal and security sources said. Eight of the Huthi rebels, also known as Ansarullah (Partisans of God), were wounded in the fighting in Qaratel, a mountainous area 20 kilometres (12 miles) northwest of Sanaa, the sources said. The firefight followed a rebel ambush, and came after days of bloody clashes between Ansarullah and tribesmen backing the influential Sunni Al-Islah (reform) party in which at least 22 people have reportedly been killed since the weekend, according to AFP.