149 people killed in 24 hrs in clashes in Yemen's Hodeida: medics, military
![Yemen this month marks two years since a Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened in support of government troops in the conflict. (AFP) Yemen this month marks two years since a Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened in support of government troops in the conflict. (AFP)](https://s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/images.asianage.com/images/aa-Cover-57eem1aqk9tf0id6rf9a12rma4-20170304211725.Medi.jpeg)
Hodeida​: At least 149 people including civilians have been killed in 24 hours of clashes between government loyalists and rebels in Yemen's flashpoint city of Hodeida, medics and military sources said Monday.
A military official in Hodeida confirmed seven civilians had died, without giving further details.
The Red Sea port city, controlled by Yemen's Houthi rebels since 2014, is a vital entry point for aid into the impoverished country.
A source in Yemen's pro-government military coalition, which is backed by a Saudi-led military alliance, said the Houthis had pushed back a large-scale offensive aimed at moving towards Hodeida port.
Medics in hospitals across the city reported 110 rebels and 32 loyalist fighters killed overnight.
Sources at the Al-Alfi military hospital, seized by the rebels during their 2014 takeover, said charred body parts had been delivered there overnight.
Military sources confirmed that the Saudi-led alliance had targeted the rebels with multiple air strikes.
Nearly 600 people have been killed since clashes erupted on November 1 in Hodeida, one of Yemen's most densely populated cities.
Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in the Yemeni government's fight against the Iran-backed Houthis in 2015, triggering what the UN now calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
The Hodeida port is a vital lifeline for aid deliveries to Yemenis across the war-torn country, where 14 million people face imminent famine.
The port has been under blockade by the Saudi-led coalition for a year.
The alliance accuses Iran of smuggling arms to the Houthis through the Hodeida port.
Tehran denies the charges.