SANAA, Yemen (AP) – Clashes between internationally recognized Yemeni government forces and Houthi rebels have caught fire in Marib and Taiz provinces, killing at least 70 fighters on both sides, officials said on Sunday.
The escalation of violence has taken place in the past 24 hours and at least 85 others have been injured, military officials on both sides said.
In February, the Iranian-backed rebels renewed their offensive against the oil-rich Marib province, an internationally recognized anti-houthi fortress.
But they have made no substantial progress amid fierce resistance and heavy losses, largely as a result of Saudi-led coalition airstrikes counteracting the advance.
The attack on Marib has sparked violence in other areas, including the province ruled by Tazi, which is besieged by houthis. The clashes also took place in Hajjah province and in the port city of Hodeida.
Officials said at least 42 fighters were killed in Marib and 28 in Taiz. Most of the dead were rebel fighters, they said.
Military officials on both sides spoke on condition of anonymity, as they were not allowed to speak to the media.
Abdu Abdullah Magli, a spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces, said he had stopped weekend Houthi attacks in the Sorouh district of Marib and recaptured rebel territory.
Houthi’s offensive on Marib has threatened to worsen Yemen’s already severe humanitarian crisis. The province is home to about one million Yemenis who have fled Houthi offensives elsewhere in the country.
Iranian-backed rebels have also stepped up their cross-border attacks with rockets and drones loaded with explosives on Saudi Arabia. It is an apparent attempt to pressure the Saudi-led coalition to stop airstrikes on rebels in Marib and other parts of Yemen.
The intensified fighting and attacks on Saudi Arabia came amid international and regional diplomatic impetus to end the conflict.
Saudi Arabia and the Biden administration have recently offered separate ceasefire proposals. However, the Houthis rejected them.
The conflict in Yemen began with the 2014 takeover of the capital Sanaa by the Houthi. A coalition led by Saudi Arabia, allied with the exiled Hadi, has been fighting the rebels since March 2015.
The war in Yemen has generated the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, leaving millions of people suffering from food and medicine shortages. He killed about 130,000 people, including fighters and civilians, according to a database project aimed at violence.