SANAA, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Yemeni government forces said on Saturday they killed 12 Houthi fighters while repelling an "infiltration attempt" in northeastern oil-rich Marib province.
Government troops clashed with Houthi fighters trying to penetrate defensive positions in the Al-Faliha area south of Marib province, forcing them to retreat, the government forces said in a statement on social media platform X. Several other Houthi fighters were wounded, it added.
Separately, a Yemeni military official told Xinhua that the Houthis were mobilizing fighters and allied tribal forces on several fronts around Marib in preparation for what he described as a potentially large-scale offensive aimed at seizing the energy-rich province.
"We are seeing significant mobilization and reinforcements," the official said on condition of anonymity, adding that government forces had reinforced defensive positions around the province.
Warplanes carried out a series of airstrikes targeting Houthi reinforcements and positions across several areas of Marib, according to the official.
The renewed fighting in Marib comes as Yemen's battlefield widens across several fronts. Military sources said that at least 44 government and Houthi fighters were killed over the past 24 hours in southwestern Taiz and neighboring southern Lahj province.
Yemen's conflict erupted in late 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and much of northern Yemen, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government. ■
