Man arrested in UK over US-run air base incident

Houthi rebels continue to clash with Yemeni government forces in the strategic town of Dhubab.

Elsewhere, British police on Tuesday arrested a 22-year-old man in London on suspicion of a terror offence over a security incident at a US-run military air base in England that authorities have linked to Iran.

Al Masirah TV released pictures around Dhubab, where Houthi militants were fighting government forces around the strategic Yemeni town that its internationally recognised government had previously said it had retaken, according to a senior Yemeni military official. The fighting began early Tuesday and continued into the afternoon, with Houthi fighters mounting several attacks and advancing toward Dhubab airport before government forces pushed them back toward Mokha, the official said. The official said Saudi-led coalition warplanes and drones provided air cover for the ground forces which helped force Houthi fighters to retreat. Houthi officials said they were still engaged in clashes in Dhubab, particularly around the airport, and blamed Saudi airstrikes for hindering their advance. Fighting also resumed in the al-Wazi'iyah area southwest of Taiz, residents said, adding airstrikes targeted Houthi positions in the area. Yemeni officials said the Saudi-led coalition has already recaptured several key areas around the Bab el-Mandeb that the Houthis took just weeks ago, including the crucial town of Dhubab. Saudi officials have provided little information about the Houthis' counterattacks. The kingdom acknowledged two of its airports were attacked, leaving three lightly injured and damaging the facilities. Two regional officials said Saudi Arabia believes the rebels won't return to the negotiating table without military pressure.

Elsewhere, British police on Tuesday arrested a 22-year-old man in London on suspicion of a terror offence over a security incident at a US-run military air base in England that authorities have linked to Iran. Counter Terrorism Policing said the man, a British national, was detained in the Westminster area of central London on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. The arrest is the seventh in connection with a suspected plot against RAF Fairford in western England, which has been used by American bombers to strike Iran. Six other men have been released on bail under investigation.