Yemen says dozens killed in clashes with rebels

SANAA, Feb 21 (Reuters) About 15 Yemeni government soldiers and an unspecified number of Shi'ite Muslim rebels were killed in clashes over the past two days, a Yemeni official said today.

''There were definitely dozens of killed and injured among the ranks of the rebels, but we cannot give exact numbers because we don't have free access to the area,'' the official said.

The latest deaths brought to about 55 the number of soldiers killed since sporadic clashes broke out on January 27 with the followers of Shi'ite rebel Abdul-Malik al-Houthi.

The clashes were taking place in a mountainous area in the northern province of Saada. Residents say Houthi's men were stationed on hilltops using machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, making it difficult for troops to drive them out.

Officials said last week that 80 of the rebels had been killed, but an aide to Houthi said the figure was exaggerated.

Opposition sources said today about 40 Houthi followers had been arrested across the country. The official confirmed the arrests but did not give a figure.

President Ali Abdullah Saleh ordered the army last month to crack down on Houthi and his group, which officials accuse of trying to install Shi'ite religious rule in the country and of preaching violence against the United States.

Yemen has asked Libya to extradite Yahya al-Houthi, a parliament member and brother of the rebel leader, officials said, adding that efforts were under way to revoke his immunity.

Sunni Muslims make up most of Yemen's 19 million population while about 15 percent are Shi'ite Muslims.

Yemen, the ancestral homeland of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, joined the US-led war on terrorism after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. Houthi's supporters are not linked to al Qaeda.

REUTERS PDS RN0109