Witnesses: Heavy fighting near Yemen’s Hodeida kills…

SANAA, Yemen (AP) – Yemeni officials and witnesses say heavy fighting between pro-government forces and Shiite rebels along the country’s west coast in recent days has left dozens of dead from both sides.

They say forces from a Saudi-led coalition have been trying to seize the rebel-held district of Zabid in the port province of Hodeida.

The officials say the coalition on Sunday targeted rebels in the district of ad-Durayhimi south of Hodeida with airstrikes, killing at least 18 people.

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

The coalition has been battling the Iran-allied rebels known as Houthis since March 2015 in a war that has killed more than 10,000 people.