Followers of the Houthi rebel group collect financial donations to support the battlefront in Sanaa, Yemen, Sept. 22, 2019. Pro-government Yemeni forces on Sunday blamed the Houthi rebel group for dispatching military reinforcements toward areas in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua)

ADEN, Yemen, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- Pro-government Yemeni forces on Sunday blamed the Houthi rebel group for dispatching military reinforcements toward areas in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.

The Houthis established new military sites and barracks in Hodeidah's southeastern parts, said a statement released by the pro-government Giants Brigades.

The statement said that a new batch of Houthi reinforcements arrived and were deployed in different areas of Hodeidah.

The Houthis move coincided with an escalation of artillery shelling against locations of the joint pro-government forces in Hodeidah, according to the statement.

Last week, the Houthis indiscriminately fired artillery shells against the residential areas in Tuhyata district of Hodeidah, leaving nine civilians killed and 10 others injured, including women and children.

Hodeidah is the main Yemeni port city on the Red Sea and key entry of most Yemen's commercial imports and humanitarian aid.

Iran-allied Houthis control much of Hodeidah while the Saudi-backed government troops have advanced to the southeastern districts.