SANAA, Yemen

Clashes flared up between Yemeni government forces and Houthi rebels in Taiz province in southwestern Yemen, the army said on Wednesday.

A military statement said eight Houthi rebels were killed and 15 others injured in a rebel attack on government positions in northwestern Taiz.

The statement did not provide details about casualties among government forces in the clashes, the fiercest between the two warring rivals in the province in two years.

Clashes were also reported in eastern Taiz, but no details were provided about casualties.

According to a military source, government forces launched a counterattack against Houthis in eastern Taiz after an attempt by the rebels to advance on government positions in the area.

Yemen has seen a relative state of calm since April 2022 following a truce that halted hostilities between Yemeni government forces and the Houthi group that erupted in September 2014 when the Iran-aligned group seized the capital Sanaa.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar