Violent clashes took place in Yemen's southern province of al-Dhalea on Tuesday between several military sites scattered in the mountain and separatist gunmen using heavy machine guns, witnesses and officials told Xinhua.

Clashes happened on Tuesday between battalions of the army forces stationed in the mountain of al-Farsh and gunmen belonging to the Southern Separatist Movement, Akram al-Kadry, a local resident told Xinhua.

The zooming gunshots and bullets could be heard in a complete darkness, al-Kadry said.

Military troops strike positions of the separatist gunmen relentlessly with heavy and medium machine guns at the same time, he said, adding that no information about casualties is available till now.

A member of the Southern Separatist Movement told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that they have already given the army forces a warning and an opportunity to leave the area but the military troops refused to leave.