Sana'At least 160 Shia rebel fighters were killed in two weeks of fierce fighting with the army near Saada in north Yemen, a military official said Wednesday.

'Commanding elements' of the outlawed Believing Youth rebel outfit were among those killed, the official said.

The statement, posted on a website run by the defence ministry, did not give the death toll among the army forces.

Saada, some 230 km north of here, has been the scene of fierce battles between the army and Shia rebels for over two months.

Government officials accuse the rebels of trying to topple the republican regime and establish an Islamic state, saying that 'foreign parties' have been supporting them.

Media reports have quoted officials as accusing Iran and Libya of financing the rebels.