The Yemeni army's chief of staff has been injured by a landmine that went off while he was visiting the northern province of Al Jouf, where heavy fighting between pro-government forces and Houthi rebels is underway.

A senior government official told Reuters that Brigadier General Taher Al Aqeeli suffered minor injuries in the explosion, which happened on Friday while he was inspecting government positions in Khub wa Al Sha'af, the largest district in Al Jouf province.

Forces loyal to the internationally-recognised government of Yemeni president Abdrabu Mansur Hadi captured most of the district in heavy fighting with the Houthis last month.

A journalist covering the fighting in Al Jouf, Tariq Razaz, confirmed to The National on Saturday that Brig Gen Al Aqeeli had been injured in a mine explosion, saying that five other military commanders had also been injured, including the governor of Al Jouf province, Ameen Al Okaimi. None of the men were seriously injured, he said.

"The chief of staff (Brig Gen Al Aqeeli) was ferried to Saudi Arabia to be treated for his injuries, while his other comrades received necessary medical treatment in a local hospital in Marib province," said Razaz.
Pro-government forces have a strong presence in Marib province, which is located to the east of the capital.

Forces loyal to the government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, have intensified an offensive against the Iran-backed Houthis since former president Ali Abdullah Saleh was killed last month after switching sides in the war.

The Houthis killed Saleh, their former ally, after surrounding his compound in the capital, Sanaa. They accused the former president of trying to sow sedition in the country. In turn, Saleh's General People's Congress party accused the Houthis of trying to establish a monopoly in running the country.

The rebels control the capital as well as much of the north of the country.

The Houthis said Brig Gen Al Aqeeli and several of his aides were injured in Friday's blast, describing the general's injuries as serious.

President Hadi appointed Brig Gen Al Aqeeli in September last year, replacing Major General Mohammed Al Maqdeshi, who was appointed as a presidential adviser.

The UAE's state news agency, Wam, reported earlier this week that local Yemeni fighters in the south-west, backed by Emirati forces, had killed dozens of armed Houthi group members and cut one of their main supply routes to Taez, the country's third largest city.

On Saturday morning, tens of Houthis were killed by army shelling in Taez province's Al Salw district, said Tariq Al Mulaiki, a journalist working for the military-run 26 September news site. He added that government troops had encircled military sites controlled by Houthis in the district.

The Houthis seized Sanaa in September 2014 and later advanced south, forcing Mr Hadi's government to flee to the second city of Aden and prompting the Saudi-led coalition to intervene in the war the following March.

The conflict has displaced more than two million people, caused a cholera epidemic and pushed the country to the brink of famine. At least 10,000 people have been killed.