Yemeni military commander dies in central province

SANAA, Yemen – Yemen’s Shiite rebels claim they killed a prominent military commander but the country’s internationally recognized government disputes that, saying he died during an army drill.

Rebel officials say they targeted a convoy of Vice-President Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar in the central province of Maarib on Wednesday, killing Brig. Gen. Mohamed Saleh al-Ahmar, the vice-president’s son-in-law.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to talk to reporters.

The government-run SABA news agency says there was no attack on the vice-president and that the commander died during a drill.

The commander was also a nephew of Yemen’s late former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The Yemeni rebels, known as Houthis, are embroiled in a civil war since March 2015 with government forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition.