Government forces shot down four explosive-laden drones fired by Houthi rebels east of Sanaa, according to the Yemeni army on Sunday.

A military statement said army forces were engaged in fierce battles with Houthi rebels in Nihm district, east of Sanaa, for the third day in a row.

According to the statement, army forces repelled several suicide attacks by the rebels in the area.

Several rebels were killed and injured in artillery shelling of Houthi positions in Nihm, the statement said, without giving an exact toll.

There was no comment from the Houthi group on the claim.

Yemen has been beset by violence and chaos since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital Sanaa. The crisis escalated in 2015 when the Saudi-led coalition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains.

More than 100,000 Yemenis, including civilians, are believed to have been killed in the conflict, which has led to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with millions at risk of starvation.