KSA-led coalition storms Hodeidah airport compound

ADEN, June 19 (Reuters): Troops backed by a Saudi Arabia-led coalition stormed the airport compound in Yemen's main port city Hodeidah on Tuesday after fierce battles with Iran-aligned Houthis, residents and Yemeni military sources said.

The capture of the airport from the Houthis would be an important gain for the coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who have promised a quick assault on the city to avoid disrupting aid deliveries through the port.

"They have stormed the airport," an anti-Houthi Yemeni military source told the news agency.

"This is the first time we hear the clashes so clearly. We can hear the sound of artillery and machinegun fire," a resident, who requested anonymity, told the news agency.

Warplanes bombarded the airport earlier in the morning, the resident added.

The Western-backed alliance launched the onslaught on Hodeidah seven days ago to try and turn the tables in a long-stalemated proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran that has compounded instability across the Middle East.