Houthis target civilians with missile in Marib as Yemeni army advances

The Iran-backed Houthi militia fired a ballistic missile towards civilians in Yemen’s Marib, the Yemeni army told Al Arabiya on Thursday.

The Yemeni army has made great advancements in Marib against the Houthis, Al Arabiya cited an official from the army as saying.

Fighters from the Iran-backed Houthi militia fled to areas bordering Marib, leaving their weapons behind, the source said.

The Iran-backed group has faced ‘unprecedented’ losses in Marib, according to the Yemeni army.

Clashes between the forces belonging to Yemen’s internationally-recognized government and the Iran-backed Houthi militia have intensified in Marib in recent weeks.

Iran has backed the Houthis in their war against the Yemeni government, supplying the group with weapons, such as drones and missiles often used to target civilians.

Marib is the last major northern stronghold for pro-government forces and is home to one of Yemen’s largest oil infrastructures.

The offensive in the area would put hundreds of gas and oil fields at risk of falling under the Iran-backed group’s control.

The governorate has also been a refuge for hundreds of thousands of displaced people who, for years, have taken shelter there away from the war that was once brewing elsewhere in Yemen.