ADEN, Yemen, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Two border guards and an officer from Yemen's government forces were killed in an attack launched by the Houthi rebels in the country's northeastern province of al-Jawf early on Tuesday, a government military official said.
"The Houthi militants carried out an attack and targeted the sites of the government's border guard forces in the Abtar border area of al-Jawf, triggering intense clashes," the local military official said on condition of anonymity.
The source confirmed that the attack also injured several others.
"The Houthi attackers used heavy weapons and attempted to capture the strategic border area, but the border guards thwarted the rebels' plans after hours of fighting," he added.
The clash took place in an area close to the border with Saudi Arabia, which backs the Yemeni government forces in battling the Houthi rebels.
The source said that the situation is still tense in the area after the arrival of Houthi military reinforcements, a move apparently aimed at relaunching their assault in hours.
Earlier this month, local officials said Yemen's warring parties are gearing up for new waves of conflict in 2023 amid lack of decisive steps toward sustainable peace.
Various regions in Yemen have witnessed sporadic armed confrontations between the local warring factions, after a cease-fire brokered by the United Nations expired in October last year.
Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Houthi militia stormed several northern cities and forced the Yemeni government out of the capital Sanaa. ■
