London, Oct 14 (IANS): Yemen's Shia Houthi rebels are reported to have captured the city of Hodeida on the Red Sea coast.

According to officials, the rebels met little opposition as they swept through the city, taking over its air and sea ports, BBC reported.

Hodeida is Yemen's second biggest port after Aden and a key source of supplies for the country's capital, Sanaa.

The Houthis' rapid advance comes a day after the appointment of a new prime minister, who is backed by the rebels.

Khalid Bahah, a former oil minister and Yemeni envoy to the UN, is viewed as a technocratic figure.

His appointment by President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi was welcomed by the Houthis, who brought down the previous government last month and hoped Bahah will help end political turmoil.

He is expected to form a government in the coming weeks.

The Houthis, who belong to the Zaidi sect of Shia Islam, have fought the government periodically over more than 10 years in an attempt to win greater autonomy for their strongholds in the northern Yemeni highlands and end what they say is discrimination and marginalisation.

Last month, their fighters entered Sanaa, seizing key government facilities and installations virtually unopposed.