Sanaa, Oct 15 (IANS): At least 12 people were killed in fierce fighting between the Shia Houthi group and Al Qaeda terrorists in Yemen's southern province of al-Bayda Wednesday, a tribal source told Xinhua.

The fighting erupted when the Houthi fighters, backed by military forces, attempted late Tuesday to enter Radda city of al- Bayda, some 270 km southeast of Yemen's capital Sanaa, where Al Qaeda terrorists are active.

The Houthi fighters and Al Qaeda militants engaged in fierce street fighting in the city, forcing hundreds of families to flee their homes.

Twelve people were killed in the ongoing fighting, the source told Xinhua by phone on condition of anonymity, without specifying the number of victims from each side. The Houthis and military forces are trying to seize the city in a bid to clear it of terrorists and impose security, the source added.

A Houthi spokesman told Xinhua that the battle was against the terrorists wherever they were . The Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) said in a statement that its militants have killed 10 Houthi fighters and two soldiers in Radda since Tuesday.

The Houthis overran northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa, after they signed a UN-sponsored ceasefire deal with the Yemeni government Sep 21 following days of clashes against Sunni militants.

The group also imposed control on the western port city of al-Hodayda Tuesday, seizing momentum for expanding influence in the country's western and southern regions.

However, the AQAP has fought with Houthis several times in the southern provinces since last month.

On Oct 9, an Al Qaeda terrorist carried out a suicide bombing attack against a gathering of Houthis in Sanaa which killed 47 people.

The impoverished Arab country has been gripped by regional Al Qaeda insurgency since 2009. The terrorist group, mainly based in southern and eastern provinces, have frequently launched suicide attacks against the army and security agencies, which have left hundreds of people dead.