SAN’A, Yemen (AP) – A Yemeni military and a provincial official say a senior army commander died in an ambush in the restive northern province where troops are battling Shiite rebels.
The officials say Brig. Gen. Omar Ali al-Issa, who headed an infantry division engaged in the fighting in the Saada province, was killed along with several soldiers by a rocket-propelled grenade on Friday afternoon.
Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not allowed to speak to the media.
Yemen has been embroiled in a five-year conflict with the Shiite rebels in Saada, who accuse authorities of neglecting their needs and of allying with hard-line Sunni fundamentalists.
Fighting has intensified since August, displaced tens of thousands of people and limited their access to humanitarian aid.