Deaths mount amid Yemen offensive

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/8198416.stm

Version 0 of 1.

The army in Yemen is continuing a major offensive against rebels in the north of the country, with at least 15 people killed in two days of fighting.

There were conflicting reports on whether the dead were civilians killed in an attack on a market or rebels.

Other reports say more have been killed in fighting in Saada, the capital of the province of the same name.

The offensive is an escalation of the long-running conflict between the Sunni government and Shia rebels.

The rebels, supporters of Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, operate in mountainous Saada province, near the border with Saudi Arabia.

The offensive came after the government vowed to strike with an "iron fist".

State of emergency

The official news agency Saba said a state of emergency had been declared in Saada province, according to Reuters news agency.

Fighting between government troops and the Zaidi Shia rebels resumed in early 2008, six months after the government and rebels had agreed a ceasefire.

Hundreds of people have been killed since the rebellion broke out in 2004.

The president has accused the rebels of trying to overthrow the government.

The rebels accuse the government of corruption and discrimination, but are particularly angered by the government's current alliance with the United States.