DHAKA: Loyalists of ousted Yemeni president Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi have pushed back Shia Houthi rebels in the southern city of Aden.

Officials say, reports the BBC.

The Hadi loyalists have been aided by air drops of arms and communications equipment from a Saudi-led coalition that is also carrying out air strikes.

In the south-east another port city, Mukalla, fell to al-Qaeda militants, who seized a military base.

Meanwhile, two Saudi soldiers have been killed guarding the border with Yemen.

Over the past two weeks, fighting in Yemen has left more than 500 people dead and some 1,700 wounded, UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos has said.

The UN Security Council is due to meet on Saturday to discuss a Russian proposal for a pause in the Saudi-led campaign.

BDST: 1516 HRS, APR 04, 2015