140 Houthi rebels killed in attack by the Yemeni military

Sana/Al Mukalla – A military operation in Yemen’s Marib province has killed at least 140 rebels belonging to the Iran-affiliated Houthi group in the past 48 hours. The Yemen military officials gave this information. Four days ago, Houthi rebels attacked an airport in Yemen. In response, the Yemeni army took action. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has foiled a plot by Houthi rebels to attack another Saudi airport with a suicide drone.

For the past few months, the Houthi rebels have been trying to take complete control of the fuel-rich province of Marib. It is claimed that the capture of Marib will alleviate the financial woes of the Houthi rebels. This is because Marib has huge oil reserves and is of great importance to the Yemeni economy. Therefore, the Houthi rebels continue to attack Marib. Over the past five days, Iran-affiliated Houthi rebels have launched fresh attacks on Marib, with the Yemeni military responding unequivocally.

Four days ago, Houthi rebels attacked the southern airfield to shake up the Yemen government. The Houthi rebels failed in this attempt. But then the Yemeni army launched heavy attacks on the Houthis in the last 48 hours. The Yemeni military says at least 140 insurgents have been killed. The Yemeni army is said to have killed the rebels in airstrikes.

Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war between the Houthi rebels against the government for the past five years. Yemen’s President Abed Mansour Hadi, backed by Saudi Arabia and Arab allies, has vowed to end the conflict with Iran-linked Houthi rebels. President Hadi had accused Iran of interfering in Yemen’s internal affairs by arming the Houthis. President Hadi and Saudi Arabia have accused Iran of using Houthi rebels to destabilise Yemen.

Iran has denied the allegations. But the drones and missiles used by Houthi rebels to attack the Yemeni army and Saudi Arabia were revealed to be Iranian-made. In addition, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have seized arms smuggled from Iran, to the Houthi rebels, in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The Saudis had pointed out that the Houthis did not have the capability and technology to launch drone strikes on Saudi cities in the far east and that Iran was arming them.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia thwarted a plot by Houthi rebels to launch a drone strike on the Saudi city of Khamis Mashayat. The Houthis planned to use the explosive-laden drone as a suicide attack. But the Saudi military neutralised the drone. Four days ago, eight people were injured in a drone strike by Houthis at Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport. A Saudi passenger plane was also damaged in the attack.