An officer of the Yemeni government forces was killed on Monday in an explosion that targeted his military vehicle in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah on Monday, a military official told Xinhua.

An explosive device targeted the military vehicle carrying Fadi Hindaj who worked previously as a commander of the 9th pro-government Giants Brigades in Hodeidah, as his vehicle was passing through an area linking Khokha and Mocha district on Yemen's western coast, the official based in Hodeidah Province said on condition of anonymity.

The remotely controlled explosion also destroyed Hindaj's military vehicle at the scene, he added.

The forces of the pro-government Giants Brigades are still stationed in various parts of Hodeidah's southern outskirts, and occasionally engage in fierce armed confrontations with the Houthi fighters.

Earlier in the day, a statement of the pro-government forces said the Houthi fighters targeted their positions in Hays district south of Hodeidah, accusing the Houthi group of "preparing for a new military escalation."

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

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

AFP.