Sanaa, Aug 30 (Xinhua) Nine people including six rebels and three security forces have been killed in an ambush by Shia rebels in northern Yemen, the newspaper News Yemen reported on its website Saturday.

The Yemeni air forces shelled the strongholds of rebels Saturday in the mountainous areas of Dahian, Matra and Al-Anad in Saada Province, which is near the Saudi border.

The clashes between Houthi rebels and government forces continued causing heavy casualties at the two sides.

A local source told News Yemen that a Houthi field leader was killed Friday during confrontations between the rebels and governmental forces.

The source said some rebels have been killed in Saada Province near dawn Saturday while they were trying to infiltrate through a checkpoint.

A military source told the local military magazine, Sep 26, that the Yemeni military inflicted heavy losses on the rebels in Saada Province in northern Yemen.