Yemen's government forces on Saturday night fought fierce clashes with the Houthi rebels in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, a military official told Xinhua.

The Houthi rebels started attacking the government-controlled areas in Hays district in the southeastern part of Hodeidah, sparking fierce armed confrontations in the area, the military official said on condition of anonymity.

"Many shells landed on the residential neighborhoods," the official added.

Some families were affected by the Houthis' random shelling on Hays district, but no exact figures of casualties were available, the source noted.

In recent weeks, armed confrontations between the pro-government forces and the Houthi rebels escalated despite the cease-fire brokered by the United Nations during the Stockholm peace talks last year.

The Iran-allied Houthi rebels control the city while the Saudi-backed government troops have advanced to the southeastern outskirts.

Hodeidah is the lifeline entry point for Yemen's most food imports and humanitarian aid. The more than four-year grinding war has pushed over 20 million people to the verge of starvation.

The Yemeni warring parties reached a peace deal on Hodeidah in December last year as a first step toward brokering a comprehensive political solution.

Sporadic breaches, however, are daily recorded in Hodeidah as the two belligerent sides failed to withdraw their forces in accordance with the agreement reached in the Swedish capital.