RIYADH : Yemen’s government has officially confirmed a military operation against Houthi forces and their equipment, describing the strikes as a direct response to what it called the group’s “treacherous activities” in the conflict-ravaged country.
The Yemeni army said the operation was carried out in retaliation for attacks by the Houthi-dominated Ansar Allah organization in the central province of Marib, where violence has surged in recent days.
In a statement, the Yemeni Ministry of Defense accused the Iran-backed Houthis of pushing the nation into broader regional conflicts to serve foreign agendas. The ministry also blamed the group for wrecking Yemen’s economy and stoking sectarian divisions among the population.
“The Houthis have destroyed Yemen’s economy and promoted sectarianism among the people,” the defense ministry said, reaffirming that the military action targeted both insurgents and their military hardware.
A spokesman for the Yemeni army echoed the sentiment, stating that the operation was necessary retaliation for the Houthis’ “treacherous actions.”
The escalation follows a deadly assault on Friday in Marib province. According to Yemeni military sources, at least 10 people were killed when Ansar Allah fighters attacked a government army camp. Among the dead were eight army personnel, while 12 others were wounded in the strike.
The Houthi group, for its part, claimed responsibility for the camp attack, saying it had targeted a government military position in Marib.
The renewed hostilities come amid stalled UN-led peace efforts and heighten fears of a wider confrontation in Yemen, which has been mired in civil war since 2014. The government’s latest military response signals a sharpening of its stance against the Houthis, who control the capital Sanaa and large parts of the north.
