Forces loyal to Yemen's government killed a leading member of the Houthi rebel group in the southern province of Dhalea on Thursday, a military official said.

"A mid-level field commander along with his bodyguards was killed during armed confrontations with the government forces north of Dhalea province," the local military source said on condition of anonymity.

He said that the Houthi group deployed heavy reinforcements of its fighters in attempt to recapture the areas in north of Dhalea.

The government forces managed to repulse the Houthis, leaving a leading rebel member and four of his bodyguards killed during the fighting, he added.

Local residents said that fighting intensified recently between the two warring rivals over the control of key areas in north of Dhalea. A number of mortar shells landed on residential houses as a result of the sporadic fightings there.

Last year, the Iran-allied Houthi fighters launched a series of intense armed attacks on the positions of the Yemeni government forces and succeeded in seizing key areas on the outskirts of Dhalea.

The areas in the north and west of Dhalea have been witnessing non-stop fighting between government forces and Houthi fighters for about four years.

Yemen has been plagued by a civil war since late 2014 when Houthi militias forced the internationally-recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi into exile.