Sanaa, Dec 13 (IANS): Forces loyal to Yemen's government announced killing 12 fighters of the Houthi rebel group in the country's southern province of Dhalea.

A statement released by the pro-government forces on Saturday stated that "military units carried out an operation against a number of Houthi-controlled sites in Dhalea's northeastern part", Xinhua news agency reported.

The pro-government military units engaged in armed confrontations with the Houthis, leaving around 12 rebels killed in the area, the statement said.

Several Houthi rebels were injured during the pro-government military operation that lasted for hours, it added.

Military vehicles and medium weapons belonging to the Houthi rebel group were seized by the pro-government forces, according to the statement.

No information, however, was given about casualties among the soldiers of the pro-government troops during the exchange of fire with the Houthis in Dhalea.

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.