Yemeni Troops Strike Back at Houthi Positions as Marib Bombardment Intensifies

Yemen's government forces have launched a counteroffensi…

Yemen's government forces have launched a counteroffensive against Houthi rebels, responding to a fresh wave of artillery fire that has once again targeted the strategic city of Marib. The escalation, which unfolded over the past 48 hours, has raised alarms about the potential for a broader and more destructive phase in the country's long-running civil war.

Military sources confirmed that army units, backed by coalition air support, advanced on several rebel-held positions along the city's western and southern fronts. The operation aims to relieve pressure on Marib, the last major northern stronghold of the internationally recognized government, which has been under sustained Houthi assault for months despite ongoing peace efforts.

The renewed shelling of residential neighborhoods has reportedly killed at least a dozen civilians, including women and children, and forced hundreds of families to flee for the second time in weeks. Local aid workers describe scenes of panic, with many residents heading toward already overcrowded camps in safer areas, where basic supplies are running dangerously low.

Analysts monitoring the conflict warn that the latest

Analysts monitoring the conflict warn that the latest exchanges are not merely a tactical flare-up but signal a dangerous shift in momentum. One regional security expert noted that "all the warning signs are there," pointing to the rebels' continued refusal to engage in meaningful negotiations and their increasing use of ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones against populated centers.

The international community has expressed growing concern that a full-scale battle for Marib could trigger a humanitarian catastrophe, potentially displacing more than a million people and further destabilizing the region. The United Nations has renewed its calls for an immediate ceasefire, but with both sides showing little appetite for compromise, prospects for a diplomatic breakthrough appear increasingly remote.

As the fighting grinds on, Yemen's already fractured society faces yet another winter of uncertainty. The government insists it will not abandon Marib, while the Houthis remain determined to capture it, leaving the country caught between two uncompromising forces and a peace process that seems ever more out of reach.