47 killed in Yemen's Marib; Saudi Arabia & Arab allies launch airstrikes

Dubai: – 47 people were killed in the conflict between the Saudi Arabia-backed Yemeni forces and the Houthi rebels for control over the Marib city. Massive bloodshed has started in the last three days for control over the city of Marib, and 170 people have been killed in the encounter. The United Nations warned that if the conflict in Marib does not stop, thousands of displaced people will face a major crisis.

Marib is known as an oil-rich region in the north of Yemen. The area is currently under the control of the Yemen’s Saudi-backed government. For the last two months, the Houthi rebels are carrying out attacks on the region to gain control over this most important region in Yemen.

Houthi rebels have gained control over Sana, the capital of Yemen and control over Marib will increase the rebel group’s strength tremendously. Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies have started airstrikes to assist the Yemen government in retaining control over the Marib region. Twenty soldiers and 27 Houthi rebels were killed in the conflict in the last 24 hours. The Yemen military and the Houthi rebels used artillery in the conflict. Before this, 53 people were killed in the conflict on Friday and 70 were killed on Saturday.

Reports are being received of a fierce conflict in the Kassara, Al-Mashjah and Jabal Murad city in Marib. The Yemenis military claimed to have destroyed vehicles, tanks and artillery guns of the Houthi rebels.

The United Nations had expressed concerns over the conflict in Marib, which is located at a distance of 120 kilometres from the capital Sana, only last month. Migrants had been killed in the attack launched by the Houthi rebels. Almost 2 million migrants have been displaced because of the six-year conflict and have taken refuge in the city of Marib.

140 camps have been set up for these migrants. In this scenario, the United Nations is warning that the conflict in this oil-rich territory will aggravate the immigrant problem.

Meanwhile, last month, Saudi Arabia had proposed a ceasefire to the Houthi rebels to end the conflict. But the Houthi rebels dismissed the proposal and continued with the ballistic missile and drone attacks. The Biden administration in the United States has increased the pressure on Saudi Arabia with the removal of Houthi rebels from the list of terrorist organisations. It has been observed that there is a marked increase in the aggression of the Houthi rebels ever since.

Attacks are being carried out, by the Houthi rebels, on the cities, airports and military bases in Saudi Arabia daily. Even if one of the Houthi attacks is successful, it could lead to a major disaster. The Saudi Arabian actions against the Houthi rebels may intensify thereafter.