Scores of Yemen rebels reportedly killed along Saudi border

Dozens of Yemeni rebels have been killed in clashes along Saudi Arabia's rugged border with Yemen as fighting continues to escalate across the country,  al-Araby al-Jadeed's Yemen correspondent reported Friday.

Saudi media said 48 Houthi rebels and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh were killed in in the border province of Jazan on Thursday.

Earlier this week 170 rebels were also killed along the border.

	The rebels have seized much of the country, including Sanaa [Getty]

Recently, several dozen Saudi soldiers have been killed in clashes along the country's long border with Yemen.

Saudi forces and the Houthis have been exchanging fire across the border since the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen began in March.

Houthi spokesman Mohamed Abd al-Salam has said the border attacks will end once the "Saudi-US aggression" against Yemen ends, according to al-Araby al-Jadeed's Arabic service.

"There is no longer any reason for the continued aggression because it has become clear to Yemenis that this war is against them and not to enforce UN resolutions or reinstate the so-called legitimate government," Abd al-Salam said in an interview with the pro-Houthi satellite channel al-Masirah.

"[This war] is to control Yemenis and their political and sovereign decisions as well as take away their freedoms," he added.

See Also: Islamic State group executes two pro-gov't soldiers in Yemen

The pro-government Sabaa news agency has reported that Houthi rebels have fired more than 1,000 rockets into "Saudi-controlled areas" over the past three days.

At least 5,700 Yemenis have been killed since March in a civil war that has pitted supporters of President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, against forces loyal to the former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and Houthi rebels.

The World Health Organisation said on Thursday that more than 15.2 million Yemenis lack access to health care services.

Clashes have also continued in the south and north-east of the country with pro-government forces backed by Saudi-led coalition war planes engaging in fierce fighting with rebels.

In the southern province of Taiz at least eight rebels were killed and 11 wounded in air raids and clashes with anti-Houthi fighters on several fronts. Five pro-government forces were also killed and ten wounded in the fighting.

A pro-government garrison has been under rebel siege for months in Taiz, Yemen's third largest city.

Two civilians were killed and others wounded after rebels shelled the residential district of al-Shamasi in Taiz, according to sources in the Popular Resistance Committees.

In the north-eastern province of al-Jawf, where pro-government forces have recently advanced towards rebel positions there was fierce fighting at Labnat military base, leading to casualties on both sides.

Al-Qaeda fighters have withdrawn from two southern Yemeni towns they captured on Wednesday, exploiting the collapse of central authority in Yemen in its eight-month war.