Nearly 200 people are said to have died in the fighting that has embroiled the southern Yemeni city of Aden for nine days.

The figure comes from a senior health official who also speaks of more than 1,000 injured.

The head of Aden’s health department, Al-Khader Lassouar, told AFP that by midnight on Friday, 185 deaths and 1,282 injuries had been registered at the city’s hospitals.

Three-quarters of the victims were civilians, he said, adding that the actual total could be higher as casualties among rebel forces are unknown.

Warplanes from Saudi Arabia have dropped weapons to help forces loyal to Yemen’s president push back Houthi rebels who are now said to have withdrawn from the centre of Aden.

President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi remains in Saudi Arabia after fleeing the city.

Saudi Arabia and other Sunni Muslim states are trying to stop the Iranian-allied Houthis and former President Ali Abdullah Saleh from winning control of Yemen.

But while the strikes are said to have s