Tribal fighters and Houthis clash at close range in Marib desert

A video showed Yemeni tribal fighters engaging in close-range clashes with Houthi forces in Marib province, which has seen a military escalation and continued Houthi mobilization.

A video filmed by Yemeni cameraman Sohaib al-Hatami showed Yemeni tribal fighters engaging in close-range clashes with forces of the Houthi group in the desert areas of Marib province in eastern Yemen. The date on which the footage was filmed could not be independently verified.

Escalation on Marib fronts

Marib province, most of which is controlled by the internationally recognized government, has witnessed a military escalation in recent weeks, as the Houthi group continues to send personnel and equipment reinforcements from Sanaa and other provinces toward the area.

Meanwhile, government forces used drones and heavy artillery to target Houthi fortifications on the al-Kasara and Sirwah fronts, northwest and southwest of Marib city. Yemeni sources said on October 19 that Houthi forces had targeted Marib city with ballistic missiles.

Active fronts

The developments come as clashes intensify on several fronts. The Giants Brigades announced that they had repelled a Houthi attack on the Kahbub front in Lahij province, while local authorities in Shabwa said a Houthi missile attack on a training center killed more than 53 recruits and injured more than 200 others.

Marib holds major strategic importance because it contains oil and gas fields. It is considered the government's last stronghold in northern Yemen and has been a primary target of Houthi attacks for years.