SANAA, July 22 (Xinhua) -- At least 11 people were killed and dozens wounded in clashes between Yemeni government forces and Houthi rebels in the central province of Marib on Monday, a government security source said.

The clashes erupted when the rebels launched a ground attack on the government forces' positions early in the morning in Serwah district in the eastern part of Marib.

The government forces repelled the hours-long attack.

"Eight rebels and three soldiers were killed in the clashes and dozens from both sides injured," the official in Marib told Xinhua by phone on condition of anonymity.

The clashes were the latest in a series of fighting between the Yemeni rival forces.

Marib, about 170 km northeast of the rebel-held capital Sanaa, is under the government control, while the rebels control part of Serwah district.

Yemen has been mired into a civil war since late 2014 when Houthi rebels overran much of the country's north.

The war has killed tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, displaced nearly 3 million others, and pushed the country to the brink of famine.