Sanaa, Aug 23 (IANS): Yemen's pro-government forces launched a large military offensive against the Houthi rebels in the southern province of Dhalea, a military official said.

The joint pro-government forces, covered by warplanes of the Saudi-led coalition, attacked several locations of the Houthi rebels in the northern part of the province on Saturday, the official told Xinhua news agency.

The pro-government forces managed to capture two villages from the Houthis' control following hours of armed confrontations, he added.

The official confirmed that deaths and injuries were recorded, but the exact number was not yet available.

Local residents also said a number of airstrikes were carried out by the Saudi-led coalition against Houthi sites in the north and west of Dhalea province.

Last year, the Iran-allied Houthi fighters launched a series of intense armed attacks on the positions of the Yemeni government forces and succeeded in seizing key areas on the outskirts of Dhalea.

The areas in the north and west of Dhalea have been witnessing non-stop fighting between government forces and Houthi fighters for about four years.

Yemen has been plagued by a civil war since late 2014 when Houthi militias forced the internationally-recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi into exile.