ADEN, Yemen, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- Random shelling launched by fighters of the Houthi rebel group targeted the local citizens' farms in Yemen's Red Sea port city of Hodeidah on Saturday, a security official told Xinhua.

"The rebels used various types of heavy weapons and shells causing large damage to the local farmers' properties in Tuhyata district of Hodeidah," the local security source said on condition of anonymity.

The rebels-fired shells landed on the citizens' farms and destroyed a solar-powered water project feeding a number of agricultural farms in the area, the source said.

"Destroying the irrigation project that feeds our farms and homes badly affected our works here," said one of the farmers named as Mazen Hassan.

"The solar energy water project, which costed us around 13 million Yemeni riyals is now destroyed and stopped working, causing a number of farms to dry out," said the farmer.

In October, the United Nations started deploying cease-fire observers in Hodeidah, establishing five observation points near the military contact lines between the two warring parties.

The observation points are manned by liaison officers from both parties in accordance with the cease-fire agreement.

However, sporadic exchange of gunfire and artillery shelling continued to rock the strategic port city despite the presence of the cease-fire observers.

As the main Yemeni port city along the coast of the Red Sea, Hodeidah is the key lifeline entry of most Yemen's commercial imports and humanitarian aid.

The grinding war of more than five years has pushed over 20 million people to the verge of starvation.

The Iran-allied Houthi rebels control much of Hodeidah while the Saudi-backed government troops have advanced to its southeastern districts.

The cease-fire deal in Stockholm was seen as the first phase toward achieving a comprehensive political solution to the civil war. Enditem

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