Stakes high in Yemen's Marib province for Houthis, Saudis
Yemen’s Houthi rebels face fierce resistance from the Saudi-backed government forces in the oil-rich province of Marib.
It has been over two months since Yemen’s Houthis launched a wide-scale military offensive on oil-rich Marib, located 170 kilometers (106 miles) east of the capital Sanaa. The Houthis seek to wrest control of this northern province where they have failed to establish dominance on the territory or people since their takeover of Yemen’s Sanaa in September 2014. Over the last six years, pro-government forces and tribal authorities have been running Marib and defending it against the Iran-allied Houthi fighters.
The Houthis' resolve to capture Marib has grown. The group has sent in a massive number of fighters and military equipment in pursuit of gaining ground in this province. They have penetrated some districts like Rahbah and Mahiliya, but the stiff resistance there has cost them dearly.
The current battle for Marib has been one of the fiercest Yemen has witnessed over the last six years. Several senior Houthi military figures and countless combatants have been killed, captured or surrendered on the battlefield. Despite their losses, the Houthis have not retreated.
The Houthis consider Marib a hub for terrorists and Saudi mercenaries. On Sept. 4, Hussein al-Ezzi, the deputy foreign affairs minister in Sanaa, wrote that Marib is housing al-Qaeda operatives.
