Dozens killed in Houthi attacks on besieged Marib

The Houthis in Yemen have intensified their attacks on the besieged city of Marib, the last stronghold of pro-government forces. Dozens of fatalities have been reported on both sides.

Pro-government army officials told Agence France-Presse yesterday that the Houthis had deployed “large numbers” of fighters and launched attacks from several sides on the strategic and oil-rich Marib in the previous 24 hours. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that 16 government soldiers were killed and 21 injured, while “dozens of deaths” were reported among the Houthis, who usually do not disclose casualties. Twenty of the attackers were captured.

The city is 120 kilometres east of the capital Sanaa, which has been controlled by the Houthis since 2014. The Houthis have been trying for a year to control Marib, and their attacks have intensified over the past two weeks. They want to control Marib before any new talks with the recognised government, especially in light of pressure exerted by the Biden administration for a political solution.

If the Houthis take Marib, it would be a heavy blow to the government backed by the Saudi-led coalition since March 2015, as northern Yemen would be entirely in the movement’s hands. This, say observers, would reduce the standing of the government in peace talks.

READ: Houthis won’t stop attacking Saudi until it ends offensive in Yemen 

Marib is regarded as a “Saudi protectorate”, in which the Kingdom has invested heavily. Riyadh has promoted the city to attract investments for urban and other projects.

Tens of thousands of Yemenis have been killed since 2014, and millions have been displaced by the fighting. Nearly 80 per cent of the 29 million population are now dependent on aid in what has been described as the largest humanitarian crisis in the world.

UN agencies warned on Friday that half of Yemeni children under the age of five will suffer from malnutrition this year. Hundreds of thousands may die due to the shortage of humanitarian aid.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration announced that it is suspending arms sales to Saudi Arabia and has removed the Houthis from the US list of terrorist organisations. This is despite the escalation of fighting and drone attacks against the Saudi-led forces over the past week.