Tribal fighters take position on a street during fighting with Shiite rebels known as Houthis, in Taiz, Yemen, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015.

Yemen’s national army has made advances in the western fronts of Taiz, military commander Major General Khaled Fadhel has confirmed even as violent clashes has been reported with Houthi militias.

The military commander stated that his troops seized control of a number of sites and the hills overlooking the link between Taiz and Hudaydah, saying that the army is near a major supply line to the west of the city where Houthi militias are based.

Meanwhile in Shabwa 13 Houthi militias were killed and wounded by coalition air strikes. As the fight for power in Yemen continues into its second year, UN envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed continues his efforts to restart peace talks between the warring sides.

Earlier this week Cheikh Ahmed made a visit to Riyadh where he met the ambassadors of the group of states sponsoring the Gulf initiative to resolve the crisis.

During the meeting, current developments related to Yemen were discussed. Ahmed said that further meetings will take place in Aden and Sanaa before he heads to the Security Council to offer his testimony on January 25.

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