Sixteen government troops were killed and dozens of Houthis were also slain in northern Yemen in the past 24 hours, continuing a solid week of fighting over the last government-controlled stronghold in Maarib Province, which is to say the last government holding in northern Yemen.
With fewer and fewer pieces of territory legitimately up for grabs in increasingly stalemated Yemen, the Houthis have centered in on Maarib, pouring in reinforcements. So far, it has not changed hands.
The Houthis did cut government supply lines into the area, however, and are emphasizing that it is “oil rich.” That term is relative, however, and the most oil-rich parts of the poorest nation in the Middle East are still not worth that much.
The “last” holding of the opposing side could be a big step toward instigating a peace process, as it makes it appear, six years into the war, that the Saudis have failed to conquer Houthi territory, and the two sides need to start negotiating a settlement.
Dozens Killed as Fighting Continues to Rage in North Yemen
Houthis continue to contest control of last stronghold in Maarib
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.
Join the Discussion!
We welcome thoughtful and respectful comments. Hateful language, illegal content, or attacks against Antiwar.com will be removed.
For more details, please see our Comment Policy.
