Riyadh, May 29 (AFP) Yemeni government forces are only around 20 kilometres from Hodeida as they advance on the key rebel-held port city, the Saudi-led military coalition said on today.

The Red Sea port has been a point of contention in Yemen's war since Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened on behalf of the government in 2015.

"The Yemeni army backed by the coalition is at a distance of around 20 kilometres from Hodeida," coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki told reporters in Riyadh.

"The purpose is to return the city back to the legitimate government of Yemen. The operations are ongoing." Hodeida is the main conduit for humanitarian aid on which millions depend, as Yemen teeters on the brink of famine.

But for neighbouring Saudi Arabia, Hodeida is seen as the entry point for rebel weaponry -- which it accuses regional rival Tehran of supplying. (AFP) CK

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