ADEN, Yemen, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Armed confrontations erupted between rival factions loyal to the Saudi-backed Yemeni government in the southwestern province of Taiz on Friday, killing at least 10 people, a security official told Xinhua.
The intra-faction fighting was between two pro-government Islamist groups in and around the old neighborhood of Taiz, killing at least 10 and injuring dozens from both sides, said the security official on condition of anonymity.
He said the two pro-government factions exchanged gunfire from heavy weapons in downtown Taiz, the province's capital city that bears the same name.
Many families were forced to evacuate their homes near the site of the fighting amid panic over the safety of their properties, the official added.
The dispute between various pro-government armed groups over the control of military and security institutions frequently lead to intense street fighting in the turbulent province of Taiz.
The city center of Taiz is currently under the control of the government, while the outskirts of the city and areas in the countryside of the province are still witnessing armed confrontations between pro-government forces and the Houthi rebels.
The impoverished Arab country has been locked into a civil war since late 2014, when Shiite Houthi rebels overran much of the country and seized all northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa.
