Roundup: Houthi militants lose ground in Yemen's western coast areas

ADEN, Yemen, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Shiite Houthi group fighters are losing ground on daily basis in Yemen's western coast areas.

It comes amid expectations of recapturing the strategic port city of Hodeidah by the country's internationally-backed government forces in the next days.

The pro-Houthi fighters positioned across the country western coast areas are the main target of the Yemeni government forces, backed by the air force of Saudi-led Arab coalition.

The Saudi-backed Yemeni troops and the local fighters allied with the government have been making strides, kicking the Houthis from three districts of Hodeidah province during past ten days.

The forces loyal to the legitimate President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi defeated the Houthi rebels in the Khokha district and other two districts in Hodeidah, following a broad military offensive it launched in cooperation with the Saudi-led Arab coalition.

The operation resulted in clearing the entire main roads leading to Hodeidah and seizing a key military base from the Houthis in addition to seizing several government institutions there.

Capturing the three districts of Hodeidah is part of a wide-scale military offensive waged by the Yemeni government forces and its allied tribal fighters against the Shiite Houthi group in the strategic port city of Hodeidah.

Scores of fighters from the two warring rivals were killed and many others were injured during the fighting that is still taking place in Yemen's western coast areas.

Medical sources said three consecutive days of fighting resulted in the death of "more than 80 Houthi fighters and 40 pro-government soldiers near Hodeidah."

The Saudi Arabia-led military coalition has intensified military air campaign against Houthi positions in and around the Houthi rebels-held capital Sanaa since Houthis killed former President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Dec. 4.

The coalition has intervened in the Yemeni conflict in March 2015 to roll back Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels, and backed internationally recognized President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi whom Houthis forced into exile in Saudi Arabia.

The war has killed over 10,000 Yemenis, mostly children, displaced 3 million, and triggered the world's most humanitarian catastrophe.

Tensions have escalated in Sanaa and other northern provinces after Houthis killed their top ally strongman Saleh after he changed alliance and backed the anti-Houthi coalition. Enditem