53 dead in fierce battles near the city of Marib
English - Saturday 10 April 2021 الساعة 06:27 pm
Newsyemen, Agencies
Agence France-Presse said that 53 fighters, including 22 from the legitimate government forces, died in intense battles with the Houthi militia - the Iranian arm in Yemen - near Marib during the past 24 hours.
The agency quoted military officials in the government forces, on Saturday, as saying, "The battles were focused on the Al-Kasara and Al-Mashjah fronts, northwest of the city, 120 kilometers east of the capital, Sanaa, after the Houthi rebels attempted to make progress."
Military officials stated that the fighting raged in the past hours, announcing the killing of 22 government forces, including 5 officers, and the wounding of dozens, in addition to the killing of 31 Houthi rebels.
The coalition fighters carried out raids on Houthi sites to support government forces in repelling Houthi attacks, according to officials.
The city of Marib, located about 120 kilometers east of the capital, Sanaa, where the rebels have imposed their control since 2014, has remained untouched by the war since its inception, but nearly a year ago, battles approached it, especially this month.
Over a year ago, the Iranian-backed Houthis have been trying to take control of the city of Marib, located in an oil-rich province, with the aim of gaining their hands on the entire north of Yemen.
After a period of calm, on February 8, the Houthis resumed their attack on government forces backed by the Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia since March 2015.
The Houthis seek to control Marib before entering into any new talks with the internationally recognized government, especially in light of US President Joe Biden's administration pressure to push for a political solution.
According to the UN Security Council, the battle for Marib "exposes one million internally displaced persons to a great danger and threatens efforts to reach a political solution, at a time when the international community is increasingly uniting to end the conflict."
Despite the air strikes, Houthi losses, and international calls to stop the battle for Marib, the rebels are continuing their offensive and "daily making more progress with the aim of bringing it down," according to military officials.
