Daijiworld Media Network – Marib
Marib, Aug 6: At least 30 Yemeni government troops were reportedly killed in coordinated missile and drone attacks by Houthi rebels on military camps in central Yemen, marking a significant escalation in the country's long-running conflict.
According to sources, the attacks targeted several camps operated by the Emergency Forces in the al-Ruwaik area of Marib province and the al-Abr area of Hadramawt province.
Yemen's Health Minister Qasim Bahibah condemned the strikes as a "treacherous" attack aimed at undermining security and stability in the country. While he denounced the assault, he did not officially confirm the casualty figure.
The Iran-backed Houthi movement, which controls much of north-western Yemen, claimed responsibility for the attacks. A Houthi military spokesperson said the strikes targeted "large Saudi military build-ups" allegedly preparing for an offensive against the group.
There was no immediate response from the Saudi-led coalition or the Saudi government regarding the claims.
The US mission to Yemen condemned the attacks, describing them as "cowardly" and accusing the Houthis of continuing what it called "terrorism against the Yemeni people."
Yemen has been engulfed in civil war since 2014, when the Houthis seized control of the capital, Sanaa, forcing the internationally recognised government from power. The conflict escalated in 2015 after a Saudi-led coalition intervened militarily in support of the Yemeni government.
The war has claimed more than 150,000 lives and triggered one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. According to the United Nations, more than 22 million people across Yemen require humanitarian assistance.
Although hostilities between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia had largely subsided following an informal truce in 2022, tensions have risen sharply in recent weeks.
The Houthis have announced what they describe as a "maritime embargo" against Saudi Arabia and have launched a series of missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi airports, oil facilities and commercial tankers in the Red Sea.
The group says the attacks are in retaliation for the Saudi blockade of ports and airports in Houthi-controlled areas and for an air strike on Sanaa airport, which it blamed on Saudi Arabia despite the Yemeni government's claim of responsibility.