Forces of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government said on Wednesday that armed confrontations erupted with the Houthi rebels in the country's southwestern province of Taiz.

"Clashes erupted with Houthi elements who were attempting to infiltrate into the (government) army sites located near the 40th Street, northeast of Taiz," the government forces said in a brief statement.

"The clashes resulted in the killing of two Houthis and the injury of three others before their escape from the area," the statement added.

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

Earlier in the day, the government forces in Taiz announced downing of a Houthi drone flying over some military sites in the western part of Taiz.

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.

Yemen 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.