Four civilians were killed and 33 others wounded, including 10 children and a number of women, when Houthis and pro-Saleh forces shelled Taiz, about 330 kilometers south of Sanaa.

The shelling left many houses on fire or heavily destroyed, sources at the Yemeni resistance said on Thursday.

The shelling targeted al Jahamaliah and Hasanat neighborhoods in Taiz.

It came after the Saudi Arabia-led Arab coalition fighter jets bombed many outposts of the Houthis in Taiz, leaving 12 militias dead and 24 others wounded.

Taiz has become the new front line in Yemen’s war against the Houthis as pro-government forces, backed by the Saudi Arabia-led Arab coalition are moving across the province to drive loyalists to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh and Houthis out of the province.

The Yemeni forces managed to retake many important areas but not the entire province.

Taiz is widely seen as a crucial gateway to recapturing the capital from the Houthis.

Source: MENA