Yemen’s government forces attack Houthis amid renewed shelling of Marib

Yemen's military unleashed attacks on the Houthis across multiple fronts in response to the Iran-backed rebels' strikes on Marib city, sparking concerns over a resurgence of large-scale conflict in the nation. The army claimed these retaliatory measures were directed at the Houthis' recent assaults in central and eastern Yemen, though specific details regarding the operations and their timing were not disclosed.

Nonetheless, the army vowed to retaliate against any additional targeting of its units with what it termed "necessary military measures." The fragile 2022 truce between the Houthis and the government appeared to be unraveling last month, marking a significant escalation between the rebels and Yemen's internationally recognized government after a period of relatively subdued large-scale fighting.

As per Col Majed Al Nazili, the spokesman for Yemen's military, the rebels' "sites and capabilities" were targeted on various front lines. Nazili emphasized that the attacks aimed to safeguard the military's security, alleging that the Houthis were exacerbating regional conflicts aligned with foreign agendas. Furthermore, he lamented the Houthis' destruction of the economy, intensification of sectarian violence, and their role in perpetuating the escalation in Yemen.

Local reports on Saturday indicated that the Houthis resumed targeting civilian areas in Marib, where on Friday, over 17 people were killed and numerous others wounded in an attack by Houthi rebels. According to a Yemeni official, three additional individuals were killed in strikes on areas housing internally displaced civilians.

This incident followed Houthi rebels' escalation of strikes on the oil-rich city in what proved to be their deadliest attack in years. On Friday, the Houthis launched ballistic missiles and drones targeting multiple camps in Marib and Hadramawt provinces, resulting in the deaths or injuries of several Yemeni personnel.

In response to the unfolding situation, UN envoy Hans Grundberg on Friday called upon all parties to exercise restraint. Grundberg warned that Yemen currently confronts a heightened risk of renewed large-scale conflict than at any juncture since the UN-brokered truce of April 2022.