A senior military commander of Yemen's pro-government forces was killed by the Houthi militia in the country's southwestern province of Taiz on Monday, a security official said.

The local security official said on condition of anonymity that "Colonel Abdoh Nuaman, commander of the 1st battalion of the pro-government forces, was killed along with two of his bodyguards in the fighting against the Houthis in Taiz."

The source said that the pro-government forces, including the 1st battalion, launched a military operation against the Houthis in Taiz's southern countryside.

He noted that the pro-government forces managed to capture key areas from the militia's grip following the military operation.

The government forces continued their attacks and advanced against the Houthis on the outskirts of Taiz province, according to the official.

The Yemeni government forces, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, have been locked in clashes with the Iran-allied Houthi military in the north, east and west of Taiz since April 2015.

Yemen has been mired into a civil war since late 2014, when Houthis overran much of the country and seized all northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa.