Dozens killed as fighting rages in Yemen's Aden

Saudi-led air raids and clashes in Yemen's second city of Aden killed 13 Houthi rebels and eight pro-government fighters Friday, military sources said.

Planes struck Houthi positions in the north of the port city, killing six fighters, while ground battles killed seven rebels and eight soldiers loyal to exiled president Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, the sources said.

The clashes followed Houthi advances in west Aden, backed by renegade troops, which saw the rebels take control of a military base late on Thursday.

Fighting continued Friday around the base, according to military sources.

Rebel shelling of several residential areas overnight killed at least five people, including a child, city health chief Khader Laswar told AFP. Another 89 civilians were wounded.

In other fighting, a drone attacked an army base held by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula near the southwestern city of al-Mukulla in the early hours of Friday, killing four people, witnesses said.

A Saudi-led coalition launched air raids against rebels in Yemen in March, after the Houthis seized control of much of the country and marched on Aden, where Hadi had taken refuge before fleeing to Riyadh. 

Peace talks last month in Geneva between the exiled government and the Houthis failed to settle the deadlock.

More than 2,600 people have been killed in the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country since March, according to UN figures.

In other developments, Yemeni security officials say a suspected US drone strike killed four al-Qaida fighters travelling by car in the city of Mukalla.

They say the strike at dawn killed one Kuwaiti, one Saudi, and two Yemenis on Friday.