While intense battles continue in Shabwa province in southern Yemen, connected to Marib to the north, against Houthi militias, the Yemeni army, supported by popular resistance and tribal forces in Marib, has managed to liberate several strategic locations in the southern and western parts of the province. Military sources informed Al-Arabiya/Al-Hadath on Thursday that the army launched a significant offensive operation in the Al-Kasara front west of Marib, succeeding in regaining control over several areas, most notably in Malboda and Hamet Al-Dhiab.
**Complete Siege**
On the southern front of the province, army and tribal forces continued their field advances in the eastern Balq fronts, laying a complete siege on the Houthi militias in the remaining pockets beneath the eastern Balq Mountain. They also progressed in the fronts of Ldha and Al-Ayrf towards Camp Um Rish. The battles, which were accompanied by concentrated artillery shelling on the militia's positions and reinforcements across various combat fronts, resulted in the deaths and injuries of dozens of Houthi militia elements.
Simultaneously, these battles coincided with a series of airstrikes targeting several Houthi sites and reinforcements along the fronts, inflicting significant losses in equipment and lives. It is noteworthy that the Yemeni army has achieved tangible progress in both Marib and Shabwa provinces in recent days. This comes after the militias targeted the densely populated city of Marib, which is home to displaced persons, with ballistic missiles, resulting in dozens of casualties.
Since the beginning of last year, 2021, the Houthis have intensified their attacks on Marib, also utilizing drones, which led to the deaths and injuries of hundreds of civilians, despite all international warnings and the United Nations' calls to halt attacks threatening the lives of millions of refugees in the oil-rich province.
