Heavy fighting near Yemen's Hodeida kills 80

Yemeni officials and witnesses say recent heavy fighting between pro-government forces and Shiite rebels in the port province of Hodeida has killed at least 80 people on both sides.

They said Sunday that forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition have been trying to seize the rebel-held district of ad-Durayhimi south of Hodeida city and at least 100 have been wounded over a 24-hour period.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media, while the witnesses did so for fear of reprisal.

The Yemen conflict was sparked by the rebels' takeover of Yemen's capital, Sanaa in 2014, which routed the internationally recognized government.

A Saudi-led coalition has been at war with the Iran-backed rebels, known as the Houthis, since March 2015.