Yemen, Feb 19 (IANS): At least six army personnel were killed and three others injured when armed tribesmen attacked an oil company in Yemen, a security official said.

"A group of armed tribesmen carried out an attack Wednesday evening on a foreign oil company based in Hadramout province, killing at least six army soldiers in charge of guarding the institution headquarters," Xinhua reported citing local security official as saying on condition of anonymity.

"The tribal militants were attempting to seize the oil company, but army soldiers positioned around the building repulsed them after brief fighting," the security source said.

In the port city of Aden, secessionist gunmen clashed Wednesday with security forces, injuring about six soldiers and torching a military vehicle at the scene.

A top leader of the pro-secession Southern Movement identified as Bagash Al Aghbary was critically injured during the skirmishes with security forces in Aden, according to youth activists.

On Feb 6, the Shiite Houthi group announced a unilateral move to dissolve the parliament of Yemen and form a presidential council to take power, which was rejected by Yemen's political parties and denounced by the Gulf Arab states.

The security situation deteriorated in Yemen in January when the Shiite Houthi group seized the presidential palace in Sanaa after deadly clashes with presidential guards.

President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and Prime Minister Khaled Bahah submitted resignations Jan 22.

The Shiite Houthi group, also known as Ansarullah, has been expanding its influence southward since signing a UN-sponsored peace and power-sharing deal Sept 21, 2014 following deadly clashes.