ADEN, Yemen, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Forces loyal to Yemen's government repulsed an armed attack carried out by the Houthi rebels against the country's southern province of Lahj on Monday, a government official told Xinhua.
"The Houthi fighters carried out a large-scale military operation and attempted to advance into the northern parts of Lahj province, sparking intense fighting in the area," the local government source said on condition of anonymity.
He confirmed that the fighting continued for two hours between the two warring rivals, leaving two government soldiers and four rebels killed in the area.
The Houthis failed to make on-ground progress into the areas controlled by the government forces in Lahj and withdrew back to their locations, he added.
Reinforcements of the pro-government armed forces were dispatched later to the area to confront the Houthis there, according to the official.
The pro-Houthi forces keep trying to make ground advances towards the southern provinces including Lahj, where key strategic pro-government army camps are located.
The Iran-allied Houthi rebels seized the northern provinces including the capital Sanaa in late 2014, forcing Yemen's President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government into exile.
An Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened militarily in the Yemeni conflict to fight against the Houthis in March 2015, in response to an official request from Hadi to protect Yemen. Enditem
