ADEN, Yemen, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's pro-government forces said on Saturday that two soldiers were killed and two others wounded in a drone attack by the Houthi group targeting a military site in the country's southeastern, oil-rich Shabwa province.
In a brief statement posted on the social media platform X, the pro-government Shabwa Defense Forces said the casualties occurred in the Markhah district, southwest of Shabwa. The wounded soldiers were transferred to nearby medical facilities for treatment, the statement said.
According to the statement, the attack took place along the front lines between government forces and the Houthis near the administrative border separating Shabwa from the neighboring Al-Bayda governorate. Markhah district, known for its rugged mountainous terrain, falls under Shabwa governorate and borders Al-Bayda, which remains fully under Houthi control.
There was no immediate response from the Houthi group.
Government forces and allied units have repeatedly accused the Houthis of carrying out sporadic attacks on military positions along several front lines across the war-ravaged country.
Yemen has been mired in conflict since late 2014, when Houthi militants seized control of the capital, Sanaa, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene the following year in support of the internationally recognized government. A UN-mediated truce between the government and the Houthis, brokered in April 2022, lasted six months before expiring, although both sides have largely maintained a de facto ceasefire since then. ■
