Abdulmalik al-Houthi, leader of Houthi rebels in Yemen. / AFP SANAA — Abdulmalik al-Houthi, leader of Houthi rebels in Yemen, on Saturday called for a public mobilization to reinforce his fighters in the war against a Saudi Arabia-led coalition forces in the Yemeni Red Sea coast.

In a statement carried by Houthi-controlled Saba news agency late on Saturday, al-Houthi accused the U.S.-backed Arab military coalition of “backing away from deals that mediated by UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths to avoid Hodeidah port city from an imminent major offensive planned by the coalition.”

Al-Houthi did not provide any details on what he called “deals.”

“Saudi and the United Arab Emirates are using the United Nations as an umbrella to seize control of Hodeidah through baseless justifications,” al-Houthi said.

Al-Houthi’s reaction came two days after the coalition resumed its military action south of Hodeidah, in which the coalition forces launched a major attack to recapture Tuhyata district.

Local media reported over 100 fighters have been killed from both warring sides over the past two days.

Hodeidah is the single most important port to Yemen’s northern provinces controlled by Houthis. XINHUA