ADEN, Yemen, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Military conflicts over oil facilities continued on Monday between two rival pro-government Yemeni factions in the country's oil-rich southern province of Shabwa, a security official told Xinhua.
"Sporadic armed confrontations are still going on between the Giants Brigades and military units loyal to Yemen's Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated Islah party in Shabwa," the local security official said on condition of anonymity.
The pro-government Giants Brigades continued advancing on-ground and managed to seize key oil fields in Shabwa during the past 48 hours, he said.
He confirmed that "the previous troops loyal to the Islamist Islah party withdrew from the area following intense armed confrontations with the Giants Brigades troops."
Last week, the pro-government Giants Brigades accused the Islah military units of organizing a rebellion against the governor of Shabwa and refusing to abide by his orders.
A government official confirmed to Xinhua that "Yemen's government recently authorized the Giants Brigades to back the governor and secure the oil fields in Shabwa following the disagreements with the pro-Islah military leaders."
"The elite Shabwa's defence troops and the Giants Brigades were heavily deployed and began securing the whole province of Shabwa as all their soldiers belong to the southern province and know their areas very well," he said.
Earlier this month, the tensions between different units of the Yemeni government forces flared up as the newly-formed Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) insisted on removing rebellious security officers from their positions in Shabwa.
The tensions between the pro-government Yemeni government factions escalated when the PLC appointed new leaders to lead the special security units linked to the Islah party, triggering deadly street fighting between rival security units in Ataq, the provincial capital of Shabwa.
The death toll from the clashes and the sporadic fighting over the oil fields in Shabwa increased to 36, and the injuries to 75 from both sides, according to a local medical official.
Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government out of the capital Sanaa.
The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 4 million, and pushed the poorest Arab country to the brink of starvation. ■
