Yemen loyalists retake historic port of Mokha

Yemeni government forces took full control of the historic Red Sea port of Mokha yesterday after weeks of deadly fighting with Shia rebels and their allies, a spokesman said.

"We have done with the Battle of Mokha," armed forces spokesman Mohammed al-Naqib told AFP, adding that the rebels had been forced to flee the town.

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Another loyalist military source confirmed that government forces were in "full control".

The rebels had put up fierce resistance in the town. Twenty-four rebels and eight loyalist troops were killed in fighting on Wednesday alone.

Mokha was once Yemen's main port serving as the export hub for coffee grown in the highlands.