Houthi missile and drone barrage kills at least ten in Marib, raising risk of wider escalation

On Friday Houthi forces launched a coordinated missile and drone strike on military sites in Marib province, firing more than ten missiles and seven one‑way attack drones. The assault hit the Sahn al‑Jinn camp north of Marib city and other installations, killing eight government soldiers and wounding twelve.

Health Minister Qasim Buhaibeh said rebel shelling also struck residential areas and displacement camps in Marib city, resulting in two civilian deaths and fourteen injuries. The total death toll therefore reached at least ten, with dozens more injured.

The Houthi movement, which acknowledges responsibility for the strikes, said the attacks were aimed at Saudi‑backed forces that were mobilising for an offensive, targeting their arsenals, vehicles and equipment.

The Friday barrage followed a Thursday attack that a military source said killed at least 58 government troops, mainly in Marib. Artillery fighting and drone activity have also been reported in Sirwah and on the Al‑Kasara front north of the city, and an arms depot in the region was hit during recent fighting.

Strategic significance of Marib

Marib remains the last major stronghold of Yemen’s internationally recognised government in the north and sits above the country’s most productive oil fields. Control of the province would give the Houthis a significant economic and strategic advantage, while losing it could split the anti‑Houthi coalition.

The Saudi‑led coalition has declared Marib a red line, warning that a Houthi takeover could trigger direct Saudi military action. A Saudi military source indicated that the coalition does not seek further escalation but will not allow the balance of power on the ground to shift, believing the Houthis are preparing a ground offensive to seize the province.

Wider context

The conflict, now in its second decade, has become entwined with the broader rivalry between Iran and the United States. The Iran‑backed Houthis have aligned with Iran’s “axis of resistance”, prompting direct U.S. strikes against them. In the month before the Marib attacks the rebels killed 16 government‑aligned soldiers south of the port city of Hodeidah.

A United Nations‑mediated truce in 2022 had frozen front lines, but tensions rose after the Houthis welcomed an Iranian aircraft to Sanaa last month and announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia targeting oil tankers in the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia, while seeking to reduce its costly intervention, appears poised to respond to the latest escalation.