Saudi-led coalition 'kills 18 Yemen fishermen' amid new assault on rebel-held Hodeida

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis rebels has reportedly killed several fishermen off the coast of the port city of Hodeida, a day after the coalition launched a new offensive.

Local sources told The New Arab's Arabic-language service on Tuesday that a coalition battleship targeted fishing boats south of Hodeida, killing 18 people on board the vessels.

There has been no official comment from the coalition yet, but the Saudi-led alliance said pro-government forces launched a new offensive on Monday night against the rebel-held port city, after an 11-week pause during UN efforts to hold peace talks.

In June, it launched a major operation to retake both the city and its port, the entry point of most of the impoverished country's imports and aid.

The troops, backed by coalition air strikes, have retaken a number of towns across Hodeidah province but have not yet breached the city.

The rebel-run SABA news agency said in a statement on Saturday that coalition forces attacked three fishing boats close to the Sawabi Islands, killing 2 fishermen, with three others missing and one severely injured.

Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in 2015 in the conflict between embattled Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, whose government is recognised by the United Nations, and the Houthis.

Nearly 10,000 people have since been killed and the country now stands on the brink of famine.