Sanaa, March 8 (IANS): Yemen's Defence Minister Mahmoud al-Subaihi, who was under house arrest by the Shia Houthi group, has managed to flee the capital Sanaa and reached the city of Aden, an official said on Sunday.

"Major General Mahmoud al-Subaihi has fled late Saturday night and arrived in Aden along with some other people," the official told Xinhua.

He said that al-Subaihi's convoy clashed with the Houthis on its way to Aden.

Five of Subaihi's bodyguards were killed and two injured in the clashes, the official added.

Last month, Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi fled to Aden after three weeks of house arrest imposed by Houthi militants after they seized control of Sanaa.

On February 6, the Houthi group announced a unilateral move to dissolve parliament and form a presidential council.

One day later, the Supreme Revolutionary Committee led by the Houthi group named al-Subaihi as acting defence minister to lead the Higher Security Committee to maintain security in the capital.

However, al-Subaihi was put under house arrest since then.