In the past 24 hours, more than 130 Houthi rebels have been killed in fighting with Saudi-led military coalition-backed government forces in and around the strategic Yemeni city of Marib. The clashes took place on Tuesday, local time, according to coalition forces. News AFP.
Much of Yemen’s fuel-rich north is now under the control of Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. Only Marib is under the control of the internationally recognized Yemeni government. The Saudi-led coalition has stepped up attacks since October to quell rebels in the city. They said that there are big incidents of casualties almost every day.
The operation was carried out in the provinces of Marib and al-Bayda, according to the Saudi state news agency SPA, citing a statement from the coalition forces. 17 armored vehicles were destroyed in the operation. More than 130 rebels have been killed.
Although the Saudi coalition provides regular information on the number of casualties, the rebels do not usually comment on it. According to reports, the death toll in the last few weeks has exceeded 3,600. However, AFP could not independently verify the account.
The Houthis launched a major offensive in February to seize Marib. Since then, the situation has calmed down a bit, but it has intensified since last September.
Fighting has been raging between the government and Houthi rebels in Yemen since 2014. The Houthi rebels then seized the capital Sanaa and overthrew the Mansur Hadi government. Later, in March 2015, the Saudi-led military alliance intervened militarily to bring the Hadi government back to power.
Thousands of people have died in the country’s years-long civil war. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced. The United Nations has described the situation in Yemen as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
