Clashes erupted on Friday between the Yemeni army and Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen's northeastern province of al-Jawf, leaving at least 13 people dead and several others wounded, tribal sources said.

The fighting took place after the Shiite rebels tried to seize the government's main facilities in al-Hazm, the capital city of al-Jawf province, a local tribal source told Xinhua anonymously.

"Three soldiers and more than 10 Shiite rebels were killed in the fighting," the source said.