ADEN, Yemen, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Intense battles erupted between Yemen's government forces and the Houthi rebels in various areas of the southwestern province of Taiz on Thursday, a military official told Xinhua.
"The Houthis carried out a large military operation and targeted several sites controlled by forces of the government in the northwestern areas of Taiz which is still besieged by the rebel militia," the local military official said on condition of anonymity.
After hours of intense clashes, the government forces succeeded in aborting the Houthi offensive targeting key sites belonging to the air defense base of the government in Taiz, according to the source.
The battles, which are still going on sporadically, have killed four government soldiers and six Houthi fighters, he added.
The recent military escalation came after the government and the Houthi group failed to extend a national truce that expired on Oct. 2, raising concerns about the return of violence to the war-ravaged Arab country.
Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia stormed several northern cities and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government out of the capital Sanaa.
The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 4 million, and pushed the country to the brink of starvation. ■
