Aden (Yemen), June 17 (IANS): A senior military official and five soldiers from the Yemeni government forces were injured on Monday in a Houthi attack in the southwestern province of Taiz, a security official told the media.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said General Abdul Aziz Majidi, the chief of staff of the Taiz military axis loyal to the internationally recognised government, was moderately wounded after the Houthis fired three shells at his convoy during his field inspection of troops stationed in northwestern Taiz, Xinhua news agency reported.

Five of Majidi's companions were also injured, some seriously, the official added, noting they were transferred to the hospital for treatment.

A protracted civil war erupted in Yemen in late 2014 when the Houthis seized much of northern Yemen and forced the government out of the capital Sanaa.

A Saudi-led military coalition intervened in 2015 in an attempt to restore the government's rule.

The government-controlled Taiz has been under Houthi siege since the beginning of the civil war.