Yemen's Saudi-backed government forces said on Sunday they had conducted a total of 181 military operations over the past 24 hours against the Iran-aligned Houthi militia amid an escalation in fighting between the two sides.

Spokesman for the government forces, Colonel Majid al-Nuzaili, said the attacks had targeted rebel sites and military objectives in various parts of Yemen, killing and injuring dozens of Houthi fighters and damaging their military hardware.

Drones, artillery and rocket launchers were used in the attacks, according to the official.

He added in a statement that the strikes were in response to repeated Houthi attacks against civilians, civilian infrastructure, economic facilities and ports, as well as positions held by government forces.

The Houthis have not commented on the reported government operations.

Meanwhile, Yemen's official Saba television reported that the Houthis launched a new missile and drone attack on the coastal city of Mocha in south-western Yemen.

The broadcaster did not provide information on potential casualties or damage.

The Houthi-controlled Saba news agency later quoted a military source as saying that the group's army had targeted military reinforcements belonging to the "Saudi enemy" in the Mocha area and Marib province with ballistic missiles and drones, leaving a number of dead and wounded, and destroying several warehouses and weapons.

On Saturday, the director of the Mocha port said Houthi attacks on the facility in recent days had killed seven people and prompted a suspension of its commercial and maritime operations.

The official added that the rebels had struck the port with more than 25 missiles, causing losses estimated at around $16 million.

The Houthis have recently launched a series of attacks against Yemeni government forces and their ally Saudi Arabia.

Tensions between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia have also escalated in recent weeks, with Saudi airstrikes targeting the rebel-controlled capital Sana'a.

The Houthis, for their part, have attacked several Saudi vessels or forced them to change course after announcing a naval blockade in the Red Sea against Saudi Arabia.

Yemen has been locked in a devastating conflict since the Houthis seized Sana'a and other parts of the north of the country in late 2014.

Saudi Arabia has since led a military coalition supporting the Yemeni government against the Houthis.