KHOKHA: UAE-backed Yemeni government forces fought their way into Hodeida airport on Tues­day, pressing an offensive that has seen some of the most intense fighting of a three-year war against Houthi rebels.

The United Arab Emirates, which has US-trained troops fighting alongside the Yemeni army, said the alliance had entered the airport in Hodeida — a Red Sea port city that is a key aid hub and the entry point for three-quarters of Yemen’s imports.

“With the participation and support of the Emirati armed forces, the joint Yemeni resistance (army) entered Hodeida airport,” the UAE state news agency WAM tweeted.

A Yemeni military source confirmed that troops had entered the rebel base at the disused airport on the southern edge of the city.

Military sources also reported 33 Houthis and 19 soldiers killed in Tuesday’s battle, bringing the death toll in Hodeida this week to 216 fighters. No civilian casualties have yet been confirmed.

The battle for Hodeida has sparked fears of a new escalation of the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, which is already teetering on the brink of famine.

The United Nations has warned any attack on Hodeida port could cripple shipments of desperately needed aid to the 8.4 million Yem­enis facing imminent starvation.

Hodeida’s residents are now bracing for what they fear will be devastating street fighting, as tan­ks and buses carrying uniformed troops roll through the empty streets of the once-bustling city.

One resident, who asked not to be identified for fear of arrest, said civilians had been “banned from using their phones to take pictures and are questioned about their movements if they’re seen in the streets”. The rebels have also begun to dig trenches in the streets, he said.

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2018