Report: Saudi Airstrikes Kill at Least 50 Houthis in Yemen’s Maarib Province

Attacks targeted last district under Houthi control

According to the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, a series of Saudi-led airstrikes targeted the Maarib Province on Monday, killing at least 50 members of the Shi’ite Houthi movement.

The attacks centered on Serwah District, the last district in oil-rich Maarib that is under the control of the Houthis. It’s unclear who the targeted Houthis were, and there is no report of substantial fighting in Maarib recently.

This once again reflects the general Saudi military strategy in Yemen, which is to fall back heavily on an air war. Using airstrikes anywhere and everywhere has often meant a substantial increase in civilian casualties.

In the central al-Bayda Province, a drone strike killed five Yemeni soldiers as well. It is unclear if this was a botched strike by pro-Saudi forces, a problem which has happened often enough, or a rare drone attack by the Houthis.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.