More than 150 fighters have been killed in fighting around the port city of Hodeidah in Yemen over the weekend, officials have said.

Government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition pounded rebel-held positions with air strikes and naval artillery, while thousands of coalition troops launched a major ground offensive.

The coastal city on the Red Sea is a crucial entry point for imports, providing a lifeline for Yemeni civilians who are teetering on the brink of a famine.

The 150 fighters who died came from both the rebel and government-backed forces, according to officials on both sides. Fearing reprisals, they spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Fighting was focused around the airport, at the eastern entrance to the city, and near a university 4km south of the port.

“This is the first time clashes have reached this point (the university),” one pro-coalition Yemeni military source said.

Residents said they could hear exchanges of fire in the area.

Yemen has been at war since March 2015 when Houthi rebels seized northern regions and forced the government into exile.

Since then, a Saudi-led coalition supporting the government has blockaded the rebel-held north and launched air strikes that have killed thousands.

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The conflict has let to three quarters of the population requiring some form of life-saving assistance and protection, according to the United Nations Population Fund.

The children wounded in Yemen's war Show all 15 1 /15 The children wounded in Yemen's war The children wounded in Yemen's war Save the Children Child Protection staff pictured alongside Ahmed and his family to ensure ongoing physical and mental support for Ahmed at home through regular follow up visits. August 15, 2018 Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Ahmed, a 15 year-old, is lying on his bed after his leg and arm were injured during an airstrike in a market in Hudaydah. His leg is protected with Gypsum after several successful surgeries. Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Save the Children Child Protection staff pictured alongside Ahmed and his family to ensure ongoing physical and mental support for Ahmed at home through regular follow up visits. August 15, 2018 Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Save the Children Child Protection staff pictured alongside Ahmed and his family to ensure ongoing physical and mental support for Ahmed at home through regular follow up visits. August 15, 2018 Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Save the Children Child Protection staff pictured alongside Ahmed and his family to ensure ongoing physical and mental support for Ahmed at home through regular follow up visits. August 15, 2018 Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Ahmed, a 15 year-old, is lying on his bed after his leg and arm were injured during an airstrike in a market in Hudaydah. His leg is protected with Gypsum after several successful surgeries. August 15, 2018 Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Save the Children Child Protection staff pictured alongside Ahmed and his family to ensure ongoing physical and mental support for Ahmed at home through regular follow up visits. August 15, 2018 Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Ahmed, a 15 year-old, is lying on his bed after his leg and arm were injured during an airstrike in a market in Hudaydah. His leg is protected with Gypsum after several successful surgeries. August 15, 2018 Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Ahmed, a 15 year-old, is lying on his bed after his leg and arm were injured during an airstrike in a market in Hudaydah. His leg is protected with Gypsum after several successful surgeries. Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Iman* is six years old and lives in Altuhaitah district, Western Hodeidah, with her parents and six siblings. Her father is a daily labourer and earns around 500 – 1000 Yemeni Riyals (1 – 2 USD) each day. On 26th June, Iman was playing in her backyard when an airstrike hit her neighbour’s house. Shrapnel from the attack reached Iman’s home and she severely injured her neck, hand, and leg. Iman’s three-month-old brother also sustained minor injuries from the shrapnel. June 07 2018 Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Iman* is six years old and lives in Altuhaitah district, Western Hodeidah, with her parents and six siblings. Her father is a daily labourer and earns around 500 – 1000 Yemeni Riyals (1 – 2 USD) each day. On 26th June, Iman was playing in her backyard when an airstrike hit her neighbour’s house. Shrapnel from the attack reached Iman’s home and she severely injured her neck, hand, and leg. Iman’s three-month-old brother also sustained minor injuries from the shrapnel. June 07 2018 Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Iman* is six years old and lives in Altuhaitah district, Western Hodeidah, with her parents and six siblings. Her father is a daily labourer and earns around 500 – 1000 Yemeni Riyals (1 – 2 USD) each day. On 26th June, Iman was playing in her backyard when an airstrike hit her neighbour’s house. Shrapnel from the attack reached Iman’s home and she severely injured her neck, hand, and leg. Iman’s three-month-old brother also sustained minor injuries from the shrapnel. June 07 2018 Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Iman* is six years old and lives in Altuhaitah district, Western Hodeidah, with her parents and six siblings. Her father is a daily labourer and earns around 500 – 1000 Yemeni Riyals (1 – 2 USD) each day. On 26th June, Iman was playing in her backyard when an airstrike hit her neighbour’s house. Shrapnel from the attack reached Iman’s home and she severely injured her neck, hand, and leg. Iman’s three-month-old brother also sustained minor injuries from the shrapnel. June 07 2018 Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war A boy injured by in the attack on a school bus in Saada, August 9th. Dozens of children aged between 6 and 14 have been killed with many more injured, after the school bus they were travelling in was hit by an airstrike in the town of Dhahyan in Saada governorate in northern Yemen. August 09, 2018 Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war A boy injured by in the attack on a school bus in Saada, August 9th. Dozens of children aged between 6 and 14 have been killed with many more injured, after the school bus they were travelling in was hit by an airstrike in the town of Dhahyan in Saada governorate in northern Yemen. August 09, 2018 Save the Children

An estimated 10,000 people have been killed and more than 8 million are at risk of starvation.