At least 3 soldiers were killed and tens more were injured when fierce clashes erupted on Saturday between security forces and armed people in Yemen's southern province of Dhale.
Other people were also reported injured during the clashes that took place when security forces imposed a security cordon around the violence-hit city seeking to arrest wanted fugitives in connection with destructive acts.
Houses were raided and many people were arrested.
Local sources said that security forces used cannons and tanks to bomb houses.
The development came after several ambushes targeting military officials including the one in which head of the Dhale Criminal Investigative Department was killed last week.
Preliminary statistics suggested that 20 wanted suspects were arrested.
In the south in general, security forces have been dispatched to streets to thwart unauthorized rallies by the secessionist movement amid separation bids and arrest outlaws.
Meanwhile, the Natioanl Dailog Committee and the Joint Meeting Parties have urged to stop military action and escalation in the south under the pretext of search for wanted suspects.
They warned in a statement of missing the opportunity to stop escalation and seeking to justify the regime's acts in the south.
The statement also called on the JMP branches, party leaders, civil society organizations and all public organizations in all governorates to hold rallies to protest what the south is experiencing and possible bad consequences of what is happening now.