Yemen Conflict: 61 killed as battle rages for key port

At least 61 combatants have been killed in intensified clashes in Yemen's flashpoint Hodeida, medics and a military source said yesterday, as street battles entered residential areas triggering fear for civilians.

Medics in the Red Sea city reported 43 Huthi rebels and nine loyalists killed in clashes over the past 24 hours. Another nine loyalist fighters were reported killed by medics at a hospital in government-held Mokha, south of Hodeida. A government military source confirmed the toll.

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A pro-government alliance, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are pushing to seize Hodeida from Yemen's Shia Huthi rebels, who are linked to Iran.

More than 400 combatants have been killed in 10 days of clashes in Hodeida, home to the impoverished country's most valuable   port.

Yesterday, fighting for control of the rebel-held city reached residential streets.

Fears for civilian safety have been rising since November 1, when the loyalist forces renewed an operation to take the key port. The Red Sea port city has been in the grip of Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels since 2014.

Rebels entrenched in the streets and positioned on rooftops battled to keep loyalist fighters out of a neighbourhood located between two major landmarks in Hodeida, the city's main hospital and vegetable market, both essential to the daily lives of civilians.

Yemenis across the city have reported seeing snipers stationed on rooftops and rebel-run tanks firing artillery in the port  city.

Saudi Arabia and its allies first launched an offensive to take Hodeida in June, sparking an exodus from the densely populated city.

The operation was temporarily suspended amid UN efforts to hold peace talks, which failed to materialise. The United Nations is now pushing for talks by the end of the year.

Hodeida is a vital lifeline for Yemenis across the war-torn country, as the majority of imports and humanitarian aid enter through its port.

Hodeida's docks, while under blockade, were not yet impacted by the fighting, according to a local official.

Around 14 million Yemenis are at risk of famine and many more are dependent on international aid, according to the UN. Any disruption of service at the port risk worsening the situation, UN and other aid agencies warned.

Sanaa international airport, held by the rebels, is also under blockade by Saudi Arabia and its allies who control Yemen's airspace and maritime borders.

In 2014, the Huthis overran the capital Sanaa and swept though much of the rest of the country, triggering the Saudi-led intervention the following year. The rebels have since been driven out of virtually all of the south and much of the Red Sea coast, with the exception of Hodeida.

Both parties in the Yemen conflict stand accused of acts that could amount to war crimes.

The Saudi-led coalition has been blacklisted by the United Nations for the maiming and killing of children, including an attack that killed at least 26 children south of Hodeida.

The World Health Organization estimates nearly 10,000 people have been killed in the war since 2015. Other rights groups believe the toll may be five times as high.

The conflict has triggered what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis and pushed the country to the brink of famine.