Saudi Airstrikes Are ‘Last Line’ of Defense for Maarib

Each day, Saudi Arabia carries out a substantial number of airstrikes in Yemen. These are centered almost entirely around the city of Maarib. Scores are killed, sometimes hundreds.

The Houthis have been attacking Maarib since February. They’ve taken almost the entire province and are besieging the city. The Saudis have escalated the airstrikes as the Houthi gains mount.

The reason for that is that it’s the only thing that’s worked at all, and in the defense of Maarib, the Saudi airstrikes are increasingly considered the last line of defense.

The Houthis have seemed to consistently win fights on the ground in the area. The airstrikes kill a lot of people, though so far they are just replaced with reinforcements. This has led to an ongoing air campaign with no end in sight.

Elsewhere, Saudi airstrikes killed seven Houthis in Taiz. Taiz has been contested throught the war, and so far airstrikes have failed to serve as decisive.