SANAA, (Reuters) – Government forces reported more  than 100 rebels killed yesterday as battles intensified in north  Yemen two days after the government urged a ceasefire, although  a spokesman for the Muslim Shi’ite rebellion disputed the claim.

Yemen, an impoverished state of some 23 million people on  the tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is battling al Qaeda militants  and secessionist discontent in the south, as well as the  rebellion in the mountainous north bordering Saudi Arabia.

“There has been a discovery of 100 bodies belonging to  Houthi rebels on the sides of the roads outside Haraf Sufyan,”  said a government statement released to the media.

“It seems these are members who had attempted to escape from  the fierce fighting in Sufyan city and were chased down.”

The government said two rebel leaders, named as Mohsen Hadi  al-Qaoud and Saleh Jarman, had been killed in the Haraf Sufyan  area of Amran province and others arrested.

Mohammed Abd al-Salam, spokesman for the rebels who the  government refers to as Houthis after the tribal name of their  leader, said the death toll given by the government was too  high, and declined to comment on the fate of Qaoud and Jarman.

Salam is based in Saada province, neighbouring Amran.

The rebels said earlier in a statement Yemeni planes had  bombed a commercial district near Saada city. A military source  said the raid targeted a petrol station used to supply the  rebels.