20 dead as Yemen's Houthis step up military ops

Sanaa, Feb 8 Yemen's Houthi militia have intensified military operations against the government-controlled oil-rich province of Marib, leaving at least 20 people killed.

An official of Marib's local authority told Xinhua news agency that "the Houthis stepped up their military operations against military sites manned by the government forces in different areas of the northeastern province", reports Xinhua news agency.

He said that the Houthi fighters on Sunday simultaneously launched on-ground military operations and missile attacks against the strategic Yemeni province.

"The rebels advanced militarily following intense armed confrontations with the pro-government forces in Marib's southern parts," the source said.

Seven Houthi fighters were captured by the pro-government forces during the battles that are still taking place sporadically in Marib, according to the official.

Medical sources at Marib's public hospital confirmed to Xinhua that Sunday's "battles resulted in the killing of nearly 17 government soldiers and injuring many others".

Earlier in the day, a Houthi-fired ballistic missile struck the headquarters of the 3rd Regional Military Command in the densely populated province of Marib, leaving three people dead and several others wounded.

On the other hand, the Houthi-affiliated Masirah TV reported that the Saudi Arabia-led coalition carried out four airstrikes against Marib's district of Serwah.

But it mentioned no further details about the group's ongoing on-ground military operations in Marib.

The Houthis' military escalation in Yemen followed Washington's indication to remove the group from the terrorist list, which will reverse the decision by the previous US administration under former President Donald Trump.

Yemen has been mired in civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa.

The Saudi-led coalition intervened in the Yemen conflict in March 2015 to support Hadi's government.

The war in Yemen has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 4 million others, and pushed the country to the brink of famine.

( With inputs from IANS )