About four Houthi fighters and three government soldiers were killed during armed confrontations in Yemen's southwestern province of Taiz on Tuesday, a security official said.

"Scores of Houthi fighters launched an armed attack and attempted to seize Hamra area located in the western parts of Taiz," said the official on condition of anonymity.

The Yemeni government forces succeeded in aborting their armed attack after hours of intense armed confrontations with the Houthi fighters, he added.

Local military sources confirmed that heavy pro-government forces were deployed later to the area that witnessed armed confrontations with the Houthis.

The city center of Taiz is currently under the control of the Yemeni government, while the outskirts of the city and areas in the countryside of the province are still witnessing armed confrontations between pro-government forces and the Houthi rebels.

The impoverished Arab country has been locked into a civil war since late 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthi rebels overran much of the country and seized all northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa.