By Mohammed al-Samei

SANAA 

Government forces have made military gains against Houthi rebels in the central al-Bayda province, according to a local Yemeni official.

Army forces captured several military positions in Natei district in the province, provincial chief Massad al-Salahi told Anadolu Agency on Wednesday.

"These mountainous sites overlook the strategic Fadha camp, which is a key Houthi stronghold in the province,” he said.

According to al-Salahi, a government soldier was killed in fighting, along with a number of rebels, but without giving an exact toll.

There was no comment from the Shia Houthi group on the claim.

Yemen has been wracked by chaos since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including capital Sanaa, forcing the Saudi-backed government to set up an interim capital in the coastal city of Aden.

The conflict escalated one year later when a Saudi-led coalition began a wide-ranging military campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi gains.