The military source said on condition of anonymity that "ferocious confrontations took place between a force from the 'Giants' brigades, part of the joint pro-government forces, and Houthi fighters" on the Harib front south of the strategic city of Marib, adjacent to the oil-rich Shabwa province, on Sunday night.

Marib has emerged as the primary battleground of the protracted Yemeni conflict since the Houthis launched a major offensive in early 2021 aimed at seizing complete control of the energy-rich Marib province.

The government-controlled Marib city holds great political, military, and economic significance. It is home to the defense ministry headquarters, the pro-government Yemeni army leadership, the key Safer oil fields and refinery, and the country's largest power plant.

The source said that the hour-long clashes involved the use of heavy weaponry, leading to the deaths of four government forces members and six Houthi fighters, with nine more sustaining injuries on both sides.

In a separate incident, the military source said an unidentified projectile, believed to be a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis on Sunday, exploded in the airspace over the Wadi district east of Marib city, though no casualties were reported.

Yemen has been embroiled in a deadly conflict between the Saudi-backed internationally recognized government and the Iran-aligned Houthi for a decade. According to the United Nations, the conflict has caused one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

Since September 2014, the Houthis have controlled vast swaths of territory across northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa. In March 2015, a Saudi-led military coalition intervened in Yemen in support of the government after the Houthis ousted it from Sanaa.