Yemen: 65 dead as Houthi rebels launch new assault on government stronghold in Marib
Sixty-five combatants have been killed after Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched a renewed offensive on Marib, the last government stronghold in the country’s oil-rich north, a military official said on Thursday.
The Iran-backed rebels attacked pro-government positions south of the strategic city, making progress despite losing dozens of fighters in coalition air strikes.
It was the Houthis’ first major offensive on Marib, the key to controlling the region, since June, when 111 fighters on both sides died in three days of clashes.
“Twenty-two pro-government (forces) were killed and 50 others were wounded, while 43 Houthi rebels were also killed in the last 48 hours,” a government military official told AFP.