ADEN, Yemen, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Yemeni government forces, supported by the Saudi-led Arab coalition, advanced on Friday and retook new areas from the Houthi rebels in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, a military official told Xinhua.
Two brigades of Al-Amaliqah (Giants) forces loyal to Yemen's government took full control of the center and large areas of Tuhyata district in Hodeidah province following intense armed confrontations with the Houthi rebels, the military source said on condition of anonymity.
He said that the ongoing large-scale military operation against Houthis hideouts in Tuhyata began on Thursday with direct support from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Government institutions and the police station were seized by the anti-Houthi forces that are continuing attacking remaining pockets of the rebels in Tuhyata, the source added.
The ongoing military operations succeeded in disrupting the Houthi supply lines in Tuhyata and surrounding areas, leaving scores of rebels killed, according to the military official based in Hodeidah.
Yemen's Defence Ministry confirmed that large areas of Tuhyata district were liberated from Houthi rebels who started using citizens as human shields after their failure in the military confrontation.
Strategically situated on the Red Sea coast, Hodeidah, Yemen's fourth largest city with a population of 600,000, is the only major port city under Houthis' control.
The port, which the Iranian-backed Houthis captured in October 2014, serves as a key source of strength for Houthi militias because it is regarded as a lifeline for many Yemenis.
More than 121,000 residents have fled the war-torn city of Hodeidah and other parts of the province since June 1, the United Nations said this week.
The UN warned that the battles to liberate Hodeidah, which has the highest poverty and malnutrition rates in the war-torn Yemen, could kill 250,000.
