ADEN, Yemen, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Pro-government army units launched an intensified artillery shelling against Houthi-controlled military sites in Yemen's southern province of Dhalea on Thursday, a military official told Xinhua.
"The army shelling targeted a number of sites held by the Houthis in the northwestern part of Dhalea, killing nine rebels in the area," according to the local military source who asked to remain anonymous.
"Intelligence information helped the 30th armored army unit in bombing the rebels sites precisely and destroying their weapons," the source said.
He added that "the Houthis are still positioned in others areas north and west of Dhalea despite the heavy shelling of the pro-government army."
There was no immediate comment from the Houthi group that launches sporadic attacks against the government-controlled areas in Yemen's south.
Yemen has been mired in civil war since late 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of much of the country's north and forced the Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of Sanaa.
The Saudi-led coalition intervened in the Yemeni conflict in early 2015 to support Hadi's government.
The Yemeni years-long civil war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced nearly 3 million and pushed more than 20 million to the brink of starvation. Enditem
