Sources in the Saudi-backed government told AFP that 84 of their soldiers were killed, mainly in rocket attacks, during fighting from midday on Saturday until Sunday morning. Houthi sources said 57 of their fighters had been killed in the same period.
A total of around 300 people have been killed since Thursday, when the Houthi movement launched an offensive to try to surround the government-controlled port city of Mocha. The rebels are also trying to advance towards areas along the coast at the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the southern gateway to the Red Sea.
The waterway has become increasingly important since traffic in the Strait of Hormuz was blocked because of the war in Iran.
