More than 60 killed in fierce fighting for Yemen’s Marib

Saudi-led coalition carried out air strikes on Houthi rebels

September 27, 2021 10:47 pm | Updated 11:13 pm IST - AFP

Fierce battle:  A Yemeni government fighter fires at Houthi rebels from a vehicle-mounted weapon in Marib.

Fierce battle: A Yemeni government fighter fires at Houthi rebels from a vehicle-mounted weapon in Marib.

Sixty-seven Yemeni rebels and pro-government troops have been killed as fighting intensifies for the key city of Marib, military and medical sources said on Monday.

A volley of air strikes from the Saudi-led coalition targeted the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who have stepped up their assault on the government’s last northern stronghold.

Hundreds of fighters have died this month after the Houthis renewed their campaign for the capital city of oil-rich Marib province.

“Fifty-eight Houthi insurgents and nine loyalists were killed in fighting and air strikes in the provinces of Marib and Shabwa in the past 24 hours,” military sources said, in figures that were confirmed by medical sources.

The rebels rarely announce their casualties.

According to the military sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the Saudi-led coalition launched more than 20 air strikes in the past 24 hours.

“It targeted Houthi vehicles, meeting points and reinforcements in Shabwa and Marib,” they added.

The Houthis initially escalated their efforts to seize Marib in February, hoping to seize control of the region’s oil resources and strengthen their position in peace negotiations.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.