CAIRO: Troops backed by a Saudi-led coalition started an assault on Wednesday on Yemen's main port city of Hodeidah, which is held by the Houthi movement, Al-Arabiya television said.

The battle for Hodeidah is expected to be by far the biggest of a three-year war between an alliance of Arab states and the Iran-aligned Houthis.

(Reporting by Hesham Hajali; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) ((Hesham.Hajali@thomsonreuters.com; +20223948100;))