After the coalition announced early Thursday that it had begun a wide military operation to cripple the Houthi militia's capabilities in several Yemeni governorates, the Yemeni army and tribal fighters managed to repel several attacks launched by the insurgents in southern Marib province, as part of their attempt to regain positions lost in recent days. Local media reported on Friday that the legitimacy forces failed several attacks on various fronts in the governorate, inflicting heavy losses on the militias in equipment and personnel.
**Advancements on Various Fronts**
These developments came after the Marib governor, Sultan al-Arada, stated that various fronts in Yemen are witnessing a shift in favor of legitimacy forces, pointing out that strong victories have been achieved recently in southern Marib. In an interview with "Al Arabiya/Al Hadath" on Thursday, he noted that the recent victories reflect the launch of the "Freedom of Happy Yemen" operation, thanking the Giants Brigades for the efforts they have made to liberate many areas. He also remarked that if Marib had fallen, legitimacy in Yemen would have ended, calling for everyone in Yemen to unite to fight the Houthi militia and its supporters.
**Houthi Desperation and 3 Million Displaced**
He explained that the resistance and tribal fighters have joined the Yemeni army in defending Marib, emphasizing that the Houthi militia's targeting of civilians proves that they are a terrorist organization. He also indicated that the responsibility for receiving displaced persons in the governorate is one that cannot be abandoned, noting that legitimacy is suffering from a difficult economic situation and that international cooperation is needed to support it. These operations come after the militias intensified their attacks on oil and gas-rich Marib since the beginning of last year (February 2021), despite all international and UN warnings about the dangers facing the lives of thousands of displaced persons. Currently, nearly 3 million people live in Marib city, including about one million who have fled from other areas in Yemen.
