The Ansar Allah group has confirmed its encirclement of Marib City from all directions, including the route leading from the east of Marib to Hadramout, which is now under fire control.
Sputnik news agency reported today, citing a military source affiliated with the Sana'a forces, that the Yemeni army and popular committees have completed the siege of Marib City from all sides after nearly two weeks of continuous military operations. The eastern route to Hadramout is now under fire control. The source indicated that the process of clearing Marib of Al-Qaeda elements and mercenaries of the aggression is merely a matter of time, particularly after the complete control of all highlands overlooking Marib City.
Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition of Arab and Islamic countries in support of the internationally recognized Yemeni government, in its efforts to regain the capital Sana'a and large areas in the north and west of Yemen, which have been controlled by the Ansar Allah group, accused of receiving Iranian support since late 2014. In response, the Ansar Allah group has been carrying out attacks using drones, ballistic missiles, and explosive-laden boats targeting Saudi and Yemeni forces both inside Yemen and within Saudi territory.
The war has resulted in the deaths of 233,000 people, and 80% of the population—around 30 million—now relies on humanitarian aid to cope with what the United Nations classifies as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. It is noteworthy that the parties to the conflict in Yemen met for the first time in several years at the negotiating table in December 2018, under the auspices of the United Nations in Stockholm, where they managed to reach several important agreements, especially regarding prisoner exchanges, a ceasefire in the strategic city of Hodeidah, and placing it under international supervision.
