Clashes between rival Yemeni forces around Aden airport on Thursday left at least five people dead and 13 others wounded.

Clashes between rival Yemeni forces around Aden airport on Thursday left at least five people dead and 13 others wounded, security sources said.

The clashes, which erupted before dawn, forced the airport to close as forces loyal to President Abed Rabbu Mansour Hadi battled to defend it against the advancing troops.

"Air traffic at Aden airport was suspended and flights cancelled," an airport source told AFP.

Travelers arriving at the international airport early Thursday were told to turn back because of the fighting, which broke out overnight.

The violence came after special forces commander Abdel Hafez al-Saqqaf deployed units on roads in the city, including near the airport.

The Popular Resistance Committees, loyal to Hadi, reacted to their deployment with clashes in various parts of the city, where tensions have been running high.

Hadi fled to Aden last month after resigning from office, following the national conference led by major opposition groups.

Ansarullah group, also dubbed as Houthis, has liberated the capital Sanaa from al-Qaeda operatives last September, and worked to restore security and stability in the attack-hit areas.

The powerful group issued the Constitutional Declaration, in a bid to avoid the power vacuum in the country following the resignation of President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his prime minister.