SANAA/RIYADH - Yemeni government troops backed by Saudi-led coalition forces on Friday seized two Houthi-held towns in northern Yemen, military officials said, despite a seven-day cease-fire announced on Tuesday. The troops, trained and equipped in Saudi Arabia, crossed the border from the oil-rich Kingdom early on Friday. They engaged in heavy clashes against the Iranian-backed Shiite Houthi group and seized control of the Yemeni northwest border city of Harad, about 15 km from Saudi border, a military official there told Xinhua by phone. Harad had been under control of the Houthis fighters since early in 2014 as a stronghold from where they used to launch missiles towards southern Saudi regions. Also, two Saudi-backed Yemeni government battalions advanced from near southern Saudi border and retook al-Hazm, the capital city of the northeast province of al-Jouf. They engaged in intensified clashes against the Houthis that led to the collapse of all rebel military camps surrounding the capital city, an official source with the leadership of the Yemeni battalions told Xinhua. Tribal sources in al-Jouf confirmed that most parts of the province are now under government troops control. Military sources said the troops are moving towards other areas of al-Jouf province to secure all its borders with oil-rich northeast province Marib. (Xinhua)