Yemen’s army has attacked the Houthis on several fronts in response to attacks by the Iran-backed rebels on Marib city, raising fears of a return to large-scale conflict across the country.
The army said the attacks were in response to the Houthi rebels' recent strikes in central and eastern Yemen.
The army did not give details of the operations or say when they took place, but said it would respond to any further targeting of its units with what it called "necessary military measures".
A 2022 truce between the Houthi rebels and the government had largely held before unravelling last month.
The latest exchanges mark a sharp escalation between the Houthi rebels and forces of Yemen's internationally recognised government after years in which large-scale fighting between the two sides had largely subsided.
Col Majed Al Nazili, spokesman for Yemen’s military, said the rebels’ “sites and capabilities” were attacked on multiple front lines. He said the attacks were aimed at defending the military’s security.
Col Al Nazili said the rebels are dragging Yemen into regional conflicts that align with foreign agendas. He added the Houthis have destroyed the economy, increased sectarian violence across the country and are responsible for the continued escalation in Yemen.
Meanwhile, there were local reports on Saturday that the Houthis renewed their attacks on civilian areas in Marib.
On Friday, more than 17 people were killed, and many others were wounded in an attack by Houthi rebels in Marib, a Yemeni official told The National. Three others were killed in strikes on areas hosting internally displaced civilians, said the official.
It came a day after Houthi rebels escalated strikes on the oil-rich city in what was their deadliest attack in years. The Houthis launched ballistic missiles and drones targeting several camps in the provinces of Marib and Hadramawt, killing or injuring a number of Yemeni personnel.
UN envoy Hans Grundberg on Friday urged the parties to exercise restraint. “Yemen today faces a greater risk of renewed large-scale conflict than at any point since the UN-brokered truce of April 2022,” he said.
