Yemen said on Friday 15 Shi'ite rebels, including a leader of the group, were killed in clashes with soldiers. A government official said eight soldiers were also killed in battles with followers of Shi'ite Muslim rebel leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi in remote mountainous areas in the north of the country. "Yahya Khudhairi, who was one of the leaders of the Houthis, was killed," the official told Reuters. It was not immediately possible to get comment from Houthi's followers.Sporadic fighting has continued since the beginning of the year despite government calls on rebels to hand in their arms, vowing they would not be held. Government officials say at least 290 rebels and 132 soldiers have been killed in the clashes this year. Houthi's followers say the official figures of rebel losses are inflated but have not given numbers of their own.