Sanaa, Sep 19 (IANS/EFE): Dozens of Houthi militants were killed Friday in clashes with Yemeni security forces around the headquarters of the state television in the capital, the rebels and eyewitnesses said.

The Shia rebel group said on its official Twitter account that the guards of the television building were using heavy weapons, resulting in the death of dozens of militants.

Large military reinforcements arrived in the area as the heavy clashes with the Houthi rebel militias continued, according to eyewitnesses.

The eyewitnesses told Efe news agency that tanks and armoured vehicles were deployed in the northern suburb of al-Jaraf in Sanaa, where the headquarters of Yemen's state television is located.

The Houthi militias retreated from the vicinity of the headquarters after facing fierce attacks from a military force around the television building which broadcasts three official satellite channels, including Yemen TV.

The headquarters were attacked Thursday night by the rebels who "used all kinds of light and heavy weapons", according to the Supreme Security Committee, the highest military authority in the country.

The sounds of explosions were heard in al-Jaraf, the stronghold of the rebel movement in Sanaa.

The streets of the neighbourhood were deserted, shops closed their doors and residents could not leave the area due to the sounds of explosions and gunfire.

The Houthi fighters have seized control of several areas around al-Jaraf, some of which are located near Sanaa International Airport, after street battles that lasted until dawn Friday between the government forces and the rebels.

The Yemen Civil Aviation and Meteorology Authority announced that Yemeni Airlines had suspended its flights to Sanaa for 24 hours, starting from midnight Thursday, due to the violence.

Late Thursday, the Houthi militias controlled the northern part of al-Setin Street, which leads to the palace where President Abd Rabbuh Mansur resides, a security source told Efe.

At least 24 Houthis and nine soldiers died in the clashes that erupted Friday, according to the source.

The Houthis have held protests since August in Sanaa, while thousands of its militia members took up positions near the capital to force the resignation of the Yemeni government.

The Houthis, who took up arms in 2004, control the northern province of Saada since 2010 and have been trying for months to expand the areas under their control.