The Yemeni military declared on Thursday that it has repelled an attack by the Iran-backed Houthi militias on the Abs front in the northwestern Hajjah province.
Several Iran-made armed drones were downed during the fighting, it added.
The Saudi-led Arab coalition offered air support during the operation. It carried out 15 raids in the Marib and Hajjah provinces in the past 24 hours, destroying eleven Houthi military vehicles.
On Wednesday, the coalition said it carried out 17 strikes against the Houthis in the same provinces, destroying 14 of their vehicles and leaving dozens of casualties among their ranks.
Yemeni sources said the Houthis in Hajjah were trying to regroup and recapture lost territories in the Abs district. They even forced hundreds of civilians to take up arms.
Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani slammed the militias for forcing civilians to join the fighting and "leading them to their death in suicide missions on various fronts."
"This is the systematic murder and genocide of the people of those regions," he added, saying it was yet another crime that can be added to the Houthis' long list of atrocities against the Yemeni people.
He accused the terrorist Houthis of exploiting the "poverty and ignorance" of some communities to further their agenda and violations in the country, including the looting of salaries and humanitarian aid, driving students out of school and recruiting children to their ranks.
The minister called on the international community to condemn the Houthis, designate them as terrorist and put their leaders on trial for war crimes.
Meanwhile, the military said it was sweeping recently liberated areas in the al-Safra district in Saada for mines planted by the Houthis.
The northern Saada province is the main Houthi stronghold in Yemen.
On Wednesday, the army announced that its forces had liberated new positions in the Safra district.
The Saba news agency reported that the military liberated the positions of Sharqan, Tibab al-Azabi and al-Hadiby in a rapid attack that left several Houthis dead and injured.
