Loyalist Yemeni forces backed by air cover, weaponry and troops from a Saudi-led coalition launched a fierce offensive in Marib province on Sunday to push Houthi rebels out of the capital and other areas they have seized. Troops from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the two key members of the coalition, were on the front lines of the offensive.
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Troops from the Saudi-led coalition that is seeking to restore president Abdrabu Mansur Hadi’s government to power also took part in the ground fighting in Marib. REUTERS -
Loyalists of the Yemeni president have been battling the Iran-allied Houthi rebels across Yemen since March, when the group forced Abdrabu Mansur Hadi and his administration to flee to Saudi Arabia. REUTERS -
Soldiers loyal to Yemen’s government assemble at a battle zone with Houthi rebels in Marib on Sunday. The offensive was launched nine days after a Houthi missile attack on a coalition camp in Marib killed 52 soldiers from the UAE, 10 from Saudi Arabia and five from Bahrain, and two days after rebel rockets killed at least 20 civilians at a market in Marib city. REUTERS -
Most of Marib is controlled by fighters and armed tribes allied with the internationally recognised government of president Abdrabu Mansur Hadi, but the Iran-backed rebels and renegade troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh hold parts of the province. REUTERS -
A pro-government fighter loads a mortar in Marib. Yemen’s government pulled out of UN-mediated peace talks with its Houthi adversaries on Sunday. REUTERS -
Loyalist fighters man a position in Marib. REUTERS -
Fighters loyal to the government ride in a military truck in Marib. REUTERS
Coalition forces launch offensive in Yemen - in pictures
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