Yemen: 7 soldiers killed in Houthi assaults on key fronts

Seven Yemeni soldiers have died in the last 24 hours during offensives launched by Houthi rebels in key southwestern and central provinces, signaling a dangerous escalation of violence. Military sources reported that five soldiers were killed and six wounded in attacks in the central Marib province on Tuesday. Another two soldiers lost their lives in clashes on the outskirts of Taiz, a southwestern city, on Wednesday.

In southern Marib, Houthi snipers targeted soldiers, killing two and injuring another before using a drone to strike their positions, resulting in the deaths of three more. These attacks are part of the rebels' ongoing military operations in Marib, a strategically vital province rich in oil and gas and home to hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people. Meanwhile, government forces in Taiz repelled another rebel offensive, marking a resumption of combat on multiple fronts. These battles had largely been dormant since a UN-brokered truce expired in 2022 but remained in effect until recently.

Marib remains the government's most significant stronghold in northern Yemen, housing critical oil and gas infrastructure. Taiz, Yemen's third-largest city, has been divided between the warring factions since 2014. Military sources also accused the Houthis of intensifying their operations in the northern Al Jawf province and the southwestern Al Dhalea province, where sniper attacks, artillery bombardments, and drone launches are frequent.

The Houthi rebels, who control the Yemeni capital Sanaa and much of the country's northwest, have repeatedly accused the internationally recognized government and the Saudi-led coalition intervening in Yemen since 2015 of violating ceasefire agreements. These recent spikes in violence align with heightened tensions and exchanges of attacks between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, following the rebels' imposition of a maritime blockade after accusing Riyadh of bombing Sanaa airport in mid-July.