Under the title "Limited Options for Houthi Militias in Marib... the Army on Guard," the Arabic website published a report highlighting that while Houthi militias continue their attacks and military escalation south of Marib Governorate, the Yemeni army and local tribes continue to resist. A military leader in the Yemeni forces stated that "the Houthis' options are limited because if they move through the desert towards the gas and oil fields east of Marib, they will be an easy target for coalition aircraft. Therefore, they will try to encircle the city of Marib from three sides."
He confirmed in an interview with "Reuters" that the Yemeni forces have the capacity to endure and confront, saying, "We will break their strength." Additionally, two military sources and a local official emphasized that trenches, sandbags, and landmines are spread throughout the city.
The Houthi attacks on the oil-rich governorate, located east of the capital Sana'a, come despite all international and UN calls for a ceasefire, especially since the governorate is home to more than a million displaced individuals who fled there from conflict in other parts of the country. Meanwhile, the United Nations and the United States are making efforts to reach a necessary truce to revive political talks among the Yemeni parties.
In this context, Erin Hutchinson, director of the Norwegian Refugee Council in Yemen, expressed deep concern about the safety and protection of civilians in Marib, emphasizing that "in the first six months of this year alone, the number of civilians killed or injured was greater than the total in the past two years." It is noteworthy that since February, the Houthis have launched violent attacks on the strategic governorate, which is home to about 3 million civilians and nearly one million displaced individuals. A Yemeni government report a few days ago indicated that 54,502 forcibly displaced individuals, representing 8,088 families from the southern districts of Marib (Harib, Al-Abdiyah, Al-Jubah), have been displaced since early September due to the escalation of the Iranian-backed Houthi militia.
