A senior commander of the pro-government Yemeni security forces was killed by armed tribesmen in the country's oil-rich province of Marib on Monday, a military official said.

"Confrontations erupted between the security forces and armed tribesmen who set up checkpoints and barriers near an oil field in Marib's eastern part," the local military source said on condition of anonymity.

He confirmed that the armed confrontations resulted in the killing of General Abdul-Wahed Dokar, commander of the 2nd Security Brigade in Marib.

Several people of the two sides were either killed or injured as the situation is still tense in Marib, the official added.

Tribal gunmen sporadically cut off the main roads and prevent the basic supplies from reaching the government-controlled city of Marib and its surroundings, where hundreds of thousands of residents and internally displaced people live.

Large areas in Marib are also witnessing intense battles between the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces and the Houthi rebels who are attempting to capture the province.