Xinhua news agency cited a military official as saying that a mid-level commander of the Houthi rebel group was killed in an ambush in the country's southern province of Dhalea by forces affiliated with Yemen"s government on Wednesday.

Demanding anonymity, the provincial military source stated that, "The pro-government soldiers set up a well-planned ambush and targeted a patrol of the Houthi militia in Dhalea's northeastern part, killing a mid-level commander of the rebel group."

The ambush that took place in Juban also resulted in the killing of three guards of the mid-level Houthi commander, the official added.

He further revealed: "The Houthi military commander identified as Al-Dailmy was working as a supervisor and leads scores of militiamen in the area."

The Houthi militants managed to control vital areas on the outskirts of Dhalea last year after carrying out a number of intense armed assaults on the positions of the Yemeni government forces there.