The US attacked a key Yemen port controlled by the Houthis overnight with heavier-than-usual airstikes and killed dozens of people, according to the Iran-backed militant group.

U.S. forces on Thursday hit a major fuel port in western Yemen used to supply Houthi rebels, the first such airstrike publicly announced since Washington began an air campaign against the militant

U.S. airstrikes targeting an oil port held by Yemen's Houthi rebels killed dozens and wounded more than 100 others, the group says.