Fighting in Yemen's Aden intensifies

Fighting in Yemen's southern port city of Aden has intensified as the Saudi-led coalition forces launched more than 10 airstrikes against military bases controlled by forces allied with Houthis across the city on Wednesday.

A number of military officials confirmed to Xinhua news agency that the Houthi gunmen supported by some troops stepped up their offensive against pro-Hadi forces in several districts of Aden province and deployed heavy armoured vehicles everywhere in the city.

The fierce street fighting has reached a critical stage in Aden city, where heavy shelling targeted residential buildings on Wednesday afternoon, killing at least eight civilians and injuring dozens others.

Aden's deputy governor confirmed to Xinhua during an exclusive interview that the random shelling also damaged several electricity substations, water tanks and destroyed about seven private houses in Cirater district in Wednesday's fighting.

The pro-Hadi side lost five people with 15 others being wounded, destroyed three tanks and seized some small weapons from the Houthi gunmen in Aden.

Sources close to Houthis claimed earlier that they managed to occupy a number of strategic hills in Aden province in their offensive over the last week against pro-Hadi tribal militia with heavy weapons, deploying well-trained snipers on the hills in order to help their forces on ground.

Due to the occupation of these hills overlooking Aden's main port located in Mu'alla district, the Houthi gunmen could reopen blocked roads and support their forces to impose full control over key government facilities there and secure roads to bring more reinforcements, according to the sources.

The Saudi-led coalition forces launched on Tuesday afternoon about five airstrikes against military bases and positions controlled by Houthis inside Aden and in neighbouring Lahj province, with no immediate reports of casualties.

The security situation in Yemen has sharply deteriorated since early March when conflicts erupted in several provinces in the country's southern regions.

A coalition led by Saudi Arabia started late last month airstrikes on Houthi targets in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa and other cities, saying the multinational action is to protect President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's legitimacy and force the Houthis to retreat from cities they have seized since September 2014.