Yemen’s government says Houthi strikes hit residential areas in Marib

Yemen's Houthi rebels have intensified their assault on the government-held city of Marib, launching multiple ballistic missile and drone strikes that impacted residential neighborhoods. Local authorities reported that four ballistic missiles and four drones struck the city on Saturday, resulting in several injuries and significant damage to homes, vehicles, and other property.

Officials from Marib's provincial authority condemned the attacks, describing them as part of an "ongoing assault that threatens the lives of civilians, displaced persons’ camps, and residential neighbourhoods." A fifth ballistic missile launched later that day injured one person, and a sixth strike occurred overnight, according to officials. The Ministry of Information denounced the continued targeting of densely populated areas as a dangerous "escalation" that exacerbates suffering.

Marib is a critical hub, hosting the largest concentration of internally displaced people in Yemen, with over two million individuals who have fled their homes due to the protracted conflict residing there. The deliberate targeting of these populated areas raises serious humanitarian concerns.

The strikes on Marib occurred concurrently with clashes further south, where Yemeni government forces claimed to have killed three Houthi fighters, including field commanders, in drone strikes near Taiz. Another strike reportedly destroyed a Houthi military vehicle, killing more fighters. This surge in violence follows a period of heightened conflict since early August, which saw Houthi attacks on military camps in Marib and Hadramout kill at least 30 government soldiers, the deadliest single incident in years. Subsequent Houthi attacks in Marib and the port city of al-Makha resulted in numerous civilian casualties.

United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, warned the UN Security Council that Yemen faces its highest risk of returning to full-scale war since a 2022 truce, as intensified fighting threatens to unravel over four years of relative calm.

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The continued targeting of Marib’s densely populated areas marked a dangerous ‘escalation’ that threatens lives and increases suffering.