7 soldiers killed in rebels' attack in Yemen

Houthi rebels attacked army posts in Yemen's northern province of Amran on Wednesday, killing at least seven soldiers, military sources said.
In the past two days, the rebels attacked military posts in Bani Maimoon and al-Mihshash areas in Amran, about 50 km north of the capital Sanaa, which broke a ceasefire deal mediated by UN envoy to Yemen, Jamal Benomar, earlier this month between the rebels and the government, said the officials.
The Houthi rebels declined to give casualty toll among their fighters.
On June 4, the Yemeni government reached a ceasefire agreement with the Houthi rebels, which ended months of sporadic fighting in Amran province.
The Houthi rebels agreed to halt reinforcements and end large armed gatherings in the province, and the government forces will secure checkpoints and main highways.
Humanitarian organizations said earlier this month that about 20,000 people in Amran province have been displaced due to heavy fighting between the government forces and the armed Houthi rebels.
In the past two months, the Houthi rebels overran several districts of Amran, as well as Juhaif Mountain and several villages of Hamdan area, after weeks-long battles with tribesmen and government soldiers. More than 100 people were killed in the conflicts.
Sectarian conflicts have been expanding in Yemen's northern provinces since the eruption of protests against former President Ali Abdullah Saleh in 2011.
Houthi rebels have controlled the northern Saada province since they signed a ceasefire deal with the government in August 2010 when a six-year intermittent war ended.
Source: XINHUA