ADEN, Feb 8 (NNN-SABA) – Yemen’s Houthi forces intensified military operations against the government-controlled oil-rich province of Marib yesterday, leaving at least 20 people killed.
An official of Marib’s local authority said, “The Houthis stepped up their military operations against military sites manned by government forces in different areas of north-eastern Marib province.” He said, the Houthi fighters simultaneously launched on-ground military operations and missile attacks against the strategic Yemeni province.
“The rebels advanced militarily following intense confrontations with the pro-government forces in Marib’s southern parts,” the source said.
Seven Houthi fighters were captured by pro-government forces during the battles, still taking place sporadically, according to the official.
Medical sources at Marib’s public hospital confirmed that, “today’s battles resulted in the killing of nearly 17 government soldiers and injuring many others.”
Earlier in the day, a Houthi-fired ballistic missile struck the headquarters of the 3rd Regional Military Command, in the densely populated province of Marib, leaving three people killed and several others wounded.
On the other side, Houthis’ Masirah TV reported that, the Saudi-led coalition carried out four airstrikes against Marib’s district of Serwah. But it mentioned no further details about the group’s ongoing on-ground military operations in Marib.
The Houthis’ military escalation in Yemen followed Washington’s indication, to remove the group from the terrorist list, which will reverse the decision by the previous U.S. administration.
Earlier, Yemen’s government said that, the U.S. revocation of designating the Houthi rebel group as a “foreign terrorist organisation” would complicate Yemen’s years-long crisis.
Yemen’s Information Minister, Muammar Iryani, said, the revocation “sends a wrong message to the rebel group and its Iranian backers by giving them more courage to continue their violent military approach.”
The minister said, the move by the new U.S. government, under President Joe Biden, “will contribute to complicating the Yemeni crisis, prolonging the coup, and will exacerbate the humanitarian suffering caused by the years-long war that was waged by the militias.”
On Friday, a U.S. State Department official confirmed that Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, intends to remove the Houthi group from Foreign Terrorist Organisations list and had notified the U.S. Congress of this.
The move came one day after Biden announced an end to U.S. support for the Saudi Arabia-led coalition’s offensives in Yemen.– NNN-SABA
