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More than 80 Houthi fighters were killed in fierce clashes with Yemeni government forces near the central city of Marib, a senior army officer said on Sunday.
Brig Gen Yahya Al-Hatemi, director of the Yemeni army’s military media department, said heavy fighting erupted over the previous 24 hours in areas south of Marib, including Hareb, Mala’a and Umm Rish.
Government forces, backed by warplanes and drones, repelled Houthi attacks and destroyed nine military vehicles, Al-Hatemi said.
“More than 80” Houthi fighters were killed while others fled the battlefield, according to the army official.
Airstrikes also targeted Houthi gatherings, reinforcements and fortified positions across the Marib front.
Marib is a strategically important area because of its oil and gas resources and major power infrastructure.
The city also hosts more than two million internally displaced people who have fled fighting elsewhere in Yemen.
The latest clashes come amid a wider escalation between Yemen’s internationally recognised government forces and the Iran-aligned Houthis, with fighting also reported in Taiz, Lahj and other parts of the country.
The Houthis have not independently confirmed the reported death toll of more than 80 fighters.