Yemeni government forces attacked the Houthis following shelling in Marib
Yemeni government forces launched attacks on Houthi positions along several sections of the front line on Saturday after shelling resumed in the city of Marib. A military spokesperson stated that the operation was directed against Houthi “capabilities and forces” along the line of contact and in several directions. According to him, the aim of the operation is to protect the civilian population.
According to Al Jazeera English, prior to this, on Thursday, Houthi rocket and drone strikes on the provinces of Hadramaut and Marib killed at least 30 government troops. Another 15 people were wounded.
Yemen’s Deputy Minister of Information, Mohammed Gezan, stated on Saturday that the Houthis had resumed shelling residential areas in Marib with rockets and drones. According to Yemen’s Ministry of Health, two civilians were killed and 14 others were wounded in Friday’s attack. The city is home to more than 2 million of Yemen’s nearly 5 million internally displaced persons.
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The Houthis stated that their target was a military camp on the outskirts of Marib. Meanwhile, the Yemeni army reported that it repelled a separate attack on Friday evening without suffering any casualties.
Al Jazeera English correspondent Youssef Mauri, who is based in Sana’a, noted that this is the first officially announced counteroffensive by government forces in several months. According to him, the Houthis suspect government forces of coordinating with Saudi Arabia for a broader offensive against territories under their control.
Elizabeth Kendall, a Middle East expert and president of Girton College at the University of Cambridge, stated that the escalation poses a threat of Yemen returning to full-scale war. She noted that the 2022 ceasefire has already ended. The UN has called on the parties to de-escalate the situation, condemning the Houthis’ missile attacks as well as their subsequent strikes on oil tankers in the Red Sea.
