ADEN, Yemen, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- Intense clashes took place between Yemeni government forces and the Houthi rebels in the southwestern province of Taiz on Monday, leaving 10 rebels killed, a military official told Xinhua.
The military official on condition of anonymity said that forces of the pro-government Giants Brigades engaged in fierce armed confrontations with the Houthi rebels in the Al-Barh area in Taiz province.
The armed confrontations heavily intensified in Taiz's western frontlines particularly over the control of key military sites located in the same area.
Earlier in the day, pro-government media outlets reported that six Houthi rebels died in an explosion while attempting to plant landmines.
Six other rebels were injured during the landmines explosion in Rubayea neighborhood of Taiz province, according to the pro-government media report.
Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Houthi rebels overtook the capital Sanaa and ousted the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. A Saudi-led coalition has been fighting the Houthis since 2015.
The conflict has caused what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis, killing more than 10,000 people and causing 14 million Yemenis at the brink of starvation.
