The Yemeni army claims to have killed two senior Houthi commanders in a fresh round of clashes between the government forces and the Shia fighters.

Government forces destroyed weaponry belonging to the Houthi fighters and wreaked massive losses in terms of casualties and equipment in Tuesday's clash in the province of Sa'ada.

Abbas Aaida and Abu Haider were killed and another commander, Yousif al-Madani, was injured during the course of action, the Yemeni army said on Wednesday.

The conflict intensified in August when Yemen's army launched Operation Scorched Earth in an attempt to crush the fighters, whom it accuses of violation of the terms of a ceasefire by taking foreigners hostage.

The Houthis, on the other hand, say they only seek to put an end to the government's discriminatory policies against them.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees' (UNHCR) says the conflict in northern Yemen has rendered 175,000 people homeless since the government crackdown on the Shia fighter began.

MP/MMN