ADEN, Yemen, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Pro-government Yemeni forces on Sunday seized key areas from Houthi grip following intense armed confrontations in the country's southern province of Dhalea, a military official told Xinhua.

According to the local military official who preferred to remain anonymous, "the joint pro-government forces launched a large military operation against the Houthi rebels in the northern areas of Dhalea."

Various pro-government military units participated in the operation that ended up in expelling the Houthis from key areas north of Dhalea, the source said.

He said that the pro-government forces are determined to continue progress on-ground and liberate all the northern parts of Dhalea during the next days.

Nearly five members of the Houthi rebel group were killed and seven others injured during the fighting in Dhalea, according to the official.

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

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 villages 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. Enditem

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