Sanaa, Dec 11 (IANS): Forces loyal to the Saudi-backed Yemeni government ambushed a group of fighters of the Houthi rebel militia in the country's oil-rich southern province of Shabwa, a military official said.

"The pro-government soldiers were deployed in the Usaylan district of Shabwa and set up a well-planned ambush for a group of Houthi soldiers passing in the area," the official told Xinhua news agency.

An intense armed confrontation erupted between the two sides following the ambush, leaving nearly 12 Houthi rebels killed and a number of others injured, he said.

Military vehicles belonging to the rebel group were completely damaged by the government forces in Usaylan's ambush, he added.

No information, however, was given about casualties among the soldiers of the government during the exchange of fire with the Houthi rebels in Shabwa.

The Iran-allied Houthi militia recently intensified their military operations against the government-controlled areas in different parts of the war-ravaged Arab country and succeeded in capturing key areas from the government forces.

Yemen has been locked into a civil war since the Houthi militia overran much of the country militarily and seized all northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa, in 2014.

Saudi Arabia has been leading the Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after Houthis forced him into exile.