Yemen Monitor/Ma’arib/Special
In an escalation that is the first since the fragile truce began about two years ago, the Houthi armed group has escalated its armed attacks towards the oil-rich Ma’arib governorate (northeast of the country(.
The Yemeni Army website “September Net” stated that army forces foiled Houthi militants’ attack attempts on Saturday, on several battlefronts in Ma’arib governorate.
The website quoted military sources as saying that “the armed forces responded to hostile fire sources of the Houthi group south and west of the governorate.”
They indicated the monitoring of movements of Houthi militias on several battlefronts in the governorate.
This is the first time the Houthis have escalated towards Ma’arib governorate in about two years since the de-escalation between the two sides.
During the past years of war, the Houthis have launched successive attacks from time to time in an attempt to control the city and extend their influence over oil and gas sources, but each time they have faced fierce resistance from the Yemeni army and tribesmen, returning with heavy material and human losses.
