A mortar and machine gun battle between Shi'ite rebels and pro-government tribesmen in north Yemen drew in government forces overnight, killing at least 19 people, local officials said.

"Yesterday night there were very violent confrontations. Nine soldiers and pro-government tribesmen were killed as well as about 10 Houthis (Shi'ites)," a local official in the flashpoint Harf Sufyan region told Reuters on Thursday.

"It remains very tense after the failure of efforts to stop the fighting between the two sides," he added.
 

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