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Marib and Hadramaut strikes
Houthi forces launched ballistic missiles and drones at government forces’ camps in Yemen’s Marib and Hadramaut governorates, killing at least 58 Yemeni soldiers and injuring dozens more, in the fiercest escalation between the two sides since 2022.
“killed at least 58 members of the Yemeni government forces and wounded dozens more”
France 24, citing an AFP-linked military source, said the death toll rose to 58 while wounded were in serious condition, and it described strikes targeting camps in the Rawiq area of Ma’rib province and the Abir and Al-Wadi’ah areas of Hadramaut near the border with Saudi Arabia.
The BBC reported that the attacks on Thursday used ballistic missiles and drones against government forces’ camps in Marib and Hadramaut, and it said one missile struck soldiers during a morning parade at a camp in Marib, killing and injuring at least 45 servicemen.
In a separate development tied to the same escalation, the BBC said Saudi Arabia announced 11 civilians were injured in the Najran region as a result of a Houthi attack across the border, described as the largest assault on the kingdom since the truce.
Claims, denials, and vows
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sari said his forces attacked government troops backed by Riyadh with ballistic missiles and drones, targeting “concentrations” supported by Saudi Arabia, and he warned that Houthi forces are prepared to respond to any escalation.
The Yemeni government’s Ministry of Defense said government forces “will respond to this aggression at the right time and place,” while France 24 reported that the internationally recognized government vowed to respond after the Thursday strikes.
Euronews described a follow-on attack on Friday in Marib Governorate, saying three Yemeni government forces personnel were killed and four others wounded after the Houthis targeted the Harib area south of Marib with more than ten missiles and seven suicide drones.
Al Jazeera’s Yemen affairs editor Ahmed al-Shalfi posted a video on X showing smoke rising from a residential area after bombing that targeted the Ghafdan area, where military forces and equipment were present and civilians live near the area.
Regional ripple and next steps
The escalation described by multiple outlets also fed into broader regional tensions, with the BBC saying the escalation follows the collapse of a ceasefire in place since 2022 amid widening regional tensions linked to the confrontation between the United States and Iran.
“amid widening regional tensions linked to the confrontation between the United States and Iran”
The BBC further reported that sources close to Saudi Arabia told AFP that Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan are moving toward signing a joint defense agreement in Jeddah on Friday, as the three countries seek to strengthen security cooperation.
In Yemen, Euronews said Marib Governorate is crowded with IDPs and that the government retains control of the city of Marib as well as oil fields and oil facilities, while the Houthis control parts of the governorate.
France 24 framed the renewed fighting as part of a wider pattern in which the Houthis intensified attacks and suspended a truce with the Saudi-backed Yemeni government that had lasted since 2022, after earlier accusations about bombing Sanaa Airport and subsequent moves including a maritime blockade on Saudi ports and targeting oil tankers.
