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.
Saudi Arabia is probably bitter the Houthi will fall for no ruse to abandon the Red Sea port of Hodeidah.
Its possible taking Hodeidah is a principle objective of Saudi Arabia/NATO, and talk of peace orchestrated in the U.S. and under the U.N. was predicated on them soon taking it.