Yemen Government Forces Launch Counterattacks on Houthis as Marib Shelling Intensifies

Yemen’s government forces have launched attacks against Houthi positions across several front lines, following renewed missile and drone strikes on the strategic city of Marib.

The escalation has raised fears that Yemen’s fragile period of relative calm could collapse into a wider conflict.

A Yemeni military spokesman said Saturday’s operations targeted Houthi forces and military capabilities along multiple fronts and contact lines. He described the attacks as necessary to protect civilians.

The counteroffensive followed Houthi attacks on the provinces of Marib and Hadramout on Thursday, which reportedly killed at least 30 government soldiers and wounded 15 others.

Yemen’s Deputy Information Minister, Mohammed Gezan, said the Houthis had resumed shelling civilian areas in Marib with missiles and drones.

The renewed attacks came a day after a Houthi strike on Marib killed two civilians and injured 14 others, according to Yemen’s Health Ministry. The Houthis said they were targeting a military camp on the outskirts of the city, while the Yemeni army said it had repelled another attack without casualties.

Fears of a Return to Full-Scale War

The latest government offensive is the first major counterattack publicly announced by Yemen’s government forces in months.

Analysts warn that the recent escalation, troop movements and clashes could push Yemen back into a full-scale civil war.

Middle East specialist Elisabeth Kendall said the warning signs of a major escalation were increasingly visible. She noted that Yemen’s civil war had never formally ended, while the 2022 truce had already expired.

The Houthis have accused Yemen’s government forces of coordinating with Saudi Arabia for a broader military offensive against areas under Houthi control.

The United Nations has called on all sides to de-escalate, while condemning Houthi missile attacks and continued strikes on oil tankers in the Red Sea.

The renewed fighting threatens to further worsen Yemen’s humanitarian crisis, particularly in Marib, which hosts millions of people displaced by years of conflict.

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