Yemeni Army Inflicts Heavy Losses on the Houthis

Sanaa (Agencies): The Yemeni army launched a wide-scale military operation on fronts in southern Marib Governorate, coinciding with intensified fighting with the Houthis in several Yemeni provinces, signaling government efforts to regain the initiative and establish a new ground reality after years of relative stalemate. Government forces announced they had inflicted heavy losses on the rebels, as military operations continued in Taiz, Al Jawf, Al Bayda’, Al Dhale’, and the western coast, amid reports of casualties, including civilians, and escalating airstrikes on Houthi-linked sites.

The operation in Marib holds particular significance given the governorate’s role in the Yemeni conflict equation. It is one of the key areas for government troop concentrations and boasts considerable economic importance due to its oil and gas resources, as well as its strategic geographic location, which serves as a link between central, northern, and eastern Yemen. Moreover, the city’s continued resistance to Houthi control has long posed an obstacle to the group’s efforts to consolidate its influence over most of the northern regions. Consequently, the governorate has become one of the most prominent battlegrounds of the war, witnessing fierce battles in recent years as the Houthis attempted to advance toward the governorate’s center.

From this perspective, the movement of government forces on the southern fronts of the governorate is not merely about improving defensive positions; it may also be part of a broader attempt to solidify control lines, secure the governorate against Houthi attacks, and potentially transition gradually from defense to offense. Marib also provides government forces with crucial strategic depth. Maintaining their positions there prevents Houthi expansion into other areas and offers anti-Houthi forces a base from which to launch operations across multiple fronts.

Government movements are not limited to Marib. The operation coincides with military escalation in several provinces, indicating a broadening scope of confrontation and an attempt to divert Houthi capabilities across multiple axes. On the western coast, government Al Ghadir Brigades announced precise strikes against Houthi concentrations, releasing footage they claimed documented the targeting of vehicles and fighters affiliated with the group. In Al Bayda’ Governorate, government forces announced the downing of a Houthi drone, a development reflecting the ongoing confrontation on this vital axis. Meanwhile, in Taiz, local authorities announced that government forces repelled a Houthi advance toward the Wazia’a district, an area of strategic importance due to its proximity to the Bab al-Mandab strait, one of the world’s most critical maritime passages.