The Yemeni army said on Wednesday that it has killed 29 Zaidi Shiite as it presses an all-out offensive against their strongholds in the northern mountains.

Troops killed 12 Shias in clashes on Tuesday in the Harf Sufyan district of Amran province, 70 kilometres (40 miles) north of the capital, the official Saba news agency quoted a commander as saying.

The other zealous Shias were martyred in several different clashes in Saada province further north, the commander said.