Sanaa, March 22 (IANS): At least three Yemeni soldiers and two Shia Houthi rebels were killed Saturday in clashes in the northern province of Amran in Yemen, officials said.

The clashes broke out at a government military checkpoint in the northern entrance of Amran, about 50 km north of the capital Sanaa, when the rebels tried to enter the city with heavy weapons to take part in a demonstration to demand the resignation of the national coalition government, Xinhua reported.

Officials said several other people from both sides were wounded in the clashes, adding that the rebels also besieged Amran's other entrances.

Last week, the Shia rebels overran Juhaif Mountain and Hamdan area, some 20 km northwest of Sanaa, after week-long battles with resident tribesmen and soldiers. More than 20 people were killed during the fight.

The Shia Houthi group has seized several towns in the northern provinces of Hajja, al-Jaw and Amran after deadly fighting with Sunni tribal residents over the past months.