Saudi-led coalition jets have bombed Houthi rebels in Yemen's third city of Taiz, hours after announcing the end of a military campaign against them.

The strikes followed the fall of the base outside Taiz of an army unit loyal to President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi.

Fighting was also reported in the second city of Aden, Lahj's provincial capital Huta, and the town of Daleh.

On Tuesday, Riyadh declared its month-long campaign, which sought to restore the president, had achieved its goals.

But it warned that it would continue to take action against the Houthis as needed.

More work "needs to be done" in Yemen, US White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told CNN, while emphasising the need for a negotiated solution.

On Wednesday the Houthi rebels asked for the coalition action to end and for UN-sponsored peace talks.

The UN says at least 944 people have been killed and 3,487 injured in air strikes, fighting on the ground and attacks by jihadist militants in Yemen since 19 March.

'Broken promise'

Rebel fighters took control of the headquarters of the 35th Armoured Brigade on the northern outskirts of Taiz early on Wednesday.

An army officer told the AFP news agency that dozens of people were killed or wounded in the heavy fighting, and that shortly after the takeover coalition aircraft targeted rebel forces inside the base.


They also bombed a gathering of rebels and allied military personnel loyal to ousted former President Ali Abdullah Saleh near the city's central prison, he added.

The 35th Brigade is loyal to President Hadi, who fled the country March as the Houthis and their allies advanced on Aden in March.

Also on Wednesday, Yemeni officials said a strike from what is believed to have been a US drone killed seven al-Qaeda fighters in the east.

Correspondents say that Al Qaeda appears to have taken advantage of the current chaos in Yemen to consolidate its presence in the southeast.

BBC