New Houthi strike in Yemen results in 10 fatalities
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Alaina
- . March 23, 2023
- . Update: March 24, 2023 9:27 pm
In a fresh Houthi militia onslaught on Wednesday in the contentious central province of Marib, at least 10 Yemeni government soldiers died.
The latest attack came amid increased diplomatic efforts to put an end to the eight-year war, shattering a truce that had largely held since last April.
A Yemeni military source reported that the Houthis “launched an attack on hills overlooking Harib district, south of Marib, and achieved gains on that front, prompting the displacement of dozens of civilians.” “At least 10 soldiers and an undetermined number of attackers were killed.”
The conflict breaks new hope after Saudi Arabia and Iran, which support opposing sides in the conflict, decided to reestablish diplomatic ties. It also comes a month after at least four soldiers were slain in the same district.
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According to Maged Al-Madhaji, an expert at the Sanaa Center for Strategic Studies think tank, “the Houthis are interested in conveying a clear political message that… the Riyadh-Tehran accord does not mean they would merely submit.” The Houthis favor a military confrontation over the ongoing dialogue, according to the report.
The UN secretary general’s special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, announced last week that hundreds of captives will be exchanged and that “intensive diplomatic efforts” were being made to broker a peace agreement.
Organizations in Yemen, including Oxfam and Save the Children, encouraged the warring parties to halt hostilities and advance toward a “inclusive Yemen peace process” in an open letter published on Wednesday.
