In a statement late yesterday, it said Maj-Gen Abdul-Rab al-Shadadi was killed while leading an offensive against the Iranian-backed Shiite rebels known as the Houthis east of the capital Sanaa. Three militia commanders fighting alongside the army of the internationally-recognized government were also killed.
It says all four were killed when a missile fired by the Houthis struck their position yesterday.
A Saudi-led coalition backing the government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi has been fighting against the Houthis and their allies, including former President Ali Abdullah Saleh's loyalists, since March 2015.