Yemen’s government forces attack Houthis amid renewed shelling of Marib | Houthis News
Fears Rise Over Possible Escalation of Yemen Conflict
Yemen’s government forces have commenced attacks on Houthi positions across multiple front lines, an escalation that follows recent Houthi shelling of Marib city. This renewed violence raises concerns that years of relative calm could devolve into broader conflict.
A military spokesman reported that the operations conducted on Saturday targeted Houthi capabilities along several axes near the line of contact, emphasizing the necessity of the actions to “protect unarmed civilians.”
The military response came after Houthi launches of missile and drone attacks in Hadramout and Marib provinces resulted in the deaths of at least 30 government soldiers and injuries to 15 others this past Thursday.
Deputy Information Minister Mohammed Gezan stated on Saturday that Houthi forces had resumed shelling civilian neighborhoods in Marib city using missiles and drones. The authorities noted that this ongoing violence followed an attack on Friday that killed two civilians and injured 14 others, as reported by Yemen’s Health Ministry.
The Houthis asserted their strikes were aimed at a military camp on the outskirts of Marib. In contrast, the Yemeni army claimed to have repelled a separate attack on Friday evening without incurring any casualties.
Concerns About a Full-Scale Conflict
Reporting from Sanaa, Al Jazeera journalist Yousef Mawry highlighted that this marks the first counteroffensive announced by government forces in months. The move is framed as retaliation against a Houthi shift towards preemptive strikes targeting army positions in Marib and Hadramout.
Mawry underscored that Houthis believe their actions are warranted by suspicions of government forces coordinating with Saudi Arabia for a larger offensive against Houthi territories.
Middle East specialist Elisabeth Kendall, who is also president of Girton College at Cambridge, expressed that the current escalation indicates a “looming possibility” of re-entering full-scale conflict. She noted that the civil war in Yemen has not officially ended, particularly following the expiration of the 2022 truce.
Kendall pointed to troop movements and increased clashes as indicators that “all the warning signs are there.” However, she remarked that government forces appear more unified than in the past, which could benefit them should there be decisive Saudi intervention.
The United Nations has called for de-escalation in Yemen, condemning both the Houthi missile attacks and their ongoing strikes on oil tankers in the Red Sea.
