Yemen’s national army and resistance fighters backed by Arab Coalition warplanes seized many coup rebel positions as they stepped up a major offensive launched on Monday to liberate the Southwestern Taiz town, resistance sources said.

Scores of rebels from the Iranian-backed Houthis and their allies were killed or wounded in heavy fighting which erupted when the national army and resistance overran rebel positions in the Western part of Taiz under coalition air raids cover, the sources said, quoted by Yemen’s Masdar Online news network.

“The army and the resistance overran many rebel positions and seized more land in the Western part of Taiz. The Houthis and their allies are retreating,” one source said.

The source said resistance artillery pounded Houthi-controlled Taiz University to prepare for an attack to expel the rebels, adding that positions held by the Houthis and their allies around the University were struck by coalition jets on Monday.

The network quoted the sources as saying two resistance fighters were killed and nine wounded in clashes on Monday while scores of the insurgents were killed or wounded.

“In other parts of the city, mainly the outskirts, the army and resistance fighters continued to advance towards rebel positions in Wazaeya area after seizing Al Mansoora Mountain.

“They have also reached Mihaifeer village, which is under the control of the Houthis and their allies,” a source said.