Forces loyal to the Yemeni government on Saturday launched a large military offensive against the Houthi rebels in the southern province of Dhalea, a military official said .

The joint pro-government forces, covered by warplanes of the Saudi-led coalition, attacked several locations of the Houthi rebels in the northern part of Dhalea, said a local military official on condition of anonymity.

The pro-government forces managed to capture two villages from the Houthis' control following hours of armed confrontations, he added.

The military source confirmed that an unknown number of deaths and injuries were recorded on both sides during the battles that are still going on sporadically.

Local residents also said a number of airstrikes were carried out by the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthi sites in the north and west of Dhalea Province.

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.