Sanaa, July 15 (IANS): The US-British naval coalition has waged two airstrikes on the Hodeidah airport in the Yemeni Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, the media reported.

Al-Masirah TV did not provide further details, but residents said the explosions were powerful.

The coalition has not commented on the claim, Xinhua news agency reported.

The airport has been shut off since the Houthi group seized control of the city in 2014.

Since last November, the Houthis began to launch anti-ship ballistic missiles and drones targeting what they said were Israeli-linked ships transiting the Red Sea to show solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi said in a televised speech last week that his group had targeted "a total of 166 ships linked to Israel, US, and Britain".

In response, the US-British naval coalition stationed in the waters has since January conducted air raids and missile strikes against Houthi targets to deter the group, but this only led to an expansion of Houthi attacks to include US and British commercial and military ships.