Heavy fighting between pro-Saudi Yemeni government forces and Houthis left dozens killed on both sides. The government claims that small amounts of territory were recovered in the area.
The fighting was in the southern portion of the central Maarib Province. The province is one of several contested since 2014, when pro-Saudi forces tried to advance from the southern coast to the capital of Sanaa.
Years later, territory still rarely changes hands, and the war remains stalemated. Regular flareups keep the death toll rising, but what is really needed is a negotiated peace, as neither side looks like they’ll win any other way.
Houthis familiar with this latest fight reported getting hit with airstrikes on Wednesday, leading into an offensive by pro-government forces on the ground, seizing hills in Jabal Murad District.
Dozens Killed in Fighting in Central Yemen’s Maarib Province
Govt claims small gains in territory in heavy fighting
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.
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