28 killed as fighting intensifies in Yemen

The official told Xinhua news agency that "armed confrontations that began late Sunday are still taking place between the government troops and the Houthi group over the control of key areas in al-Jawf province".

The victims comprised 18 Houthis and 10 government personnel.

The official indicated that the government forces were determined to expel the Houthis from strategic areas in al-jawf, but fighting has expanded further in the province.

"The Houthis staged a stiff resistance and succeeded in impeding the progress of the government forces in al-Jawf till the moment," he added.

Another Yemeni military official confirmed that the Iran-backed Houthis made progress on-ground and captured areas in the neighbouring oil-rich province of Marib.

Warplanes of the Saudi Arabia-led coalition intervened and carried out a series of airstrikes against the Houthi-led areas in both al-Jawf and Maribs.

The Houthis control much of al-Jawf and government forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition are attempting to expel the rebels out of the province.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014, when the Houthi group seized control of much of the country's north and forced the Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbuh Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa.

The Saudi-led military coalition intervened in the Yemeni conflict in March 2015 to support Hadi's government.