Fighting continues over the last former government outpost in Maarib Province, the last thing they hold in northern Yemen, as Houthi forces continue to send reinforcements into the area, and contest from several directions.
So far, government officials say they’ve repelled the attacks. Dozens are dead on both sides, but few expect this to be the end of the matter so much as another day gone with no territory changing hands.
That’s not to say that the fighting is totally inconsequential. The Houthis are reported to have killed a top army commander in contesting the post, and the large scale operation seemingly has both sides coming to terms with the lack of progress from the fighting after several years.
Maarib’s value as the “last” northern holding makes it more of a PR gain than anything, and it’s clear that whatever happens here, the war remains as stalemated as ever, with no signs of fighting bringing a result.
Why call pro-Saudi militias “government” forces? Both sides claim to be the government, and it is the Houthis who have held the capital and with it the seat of government for the last 6 years.
The Houthi’s are an Iranian backed terrorist organization that needs to be terminated totally.
That’s the Saudi perspective, and the Saudi desire. However, they are actually the defacto government of Yemen, and they aren’t cooperating with the Saudis.
The Saudi’s are far more capable of running Yemen and will.
The Saudis can’t even run Saudi Arabia, they are wasting all its oil wealth on foreign luxuries, they’ll be nothing left for the next generation.