Yemeni security officials say gunmen from a security force backed by the United Arab Emirates have stormed a mosque in the southern Dhale province, killing at least five people.

The officials say Saturday the attack took place a day earlier, when people were holding prayers in a mosque in the district of Azrak.

They say the attackers, who belong to a group called the Security Belt, kidnapped three others. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

Tribal leaders in the district condemned that attack and called for those responsible to be held accountable.

The Security Belt force says in a statement the dead were Houthi rebels who refused to surrender.

The UAE is part of a Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthi rebels since 2015.