DUBAI: Yemen’s Ansar Allah fighters have made important gains in the battle for the government’s last northern stronghold, advancing close to the centre of Marib city despite heavy casualties, military sources said on Sunday. The fighters have taken full control of the northwest Kassara battlefield and made progress on western frontlines despite airstrikes by the coalition which backs Yemen’s government, the loyalist military sources said.
Marib and its surrounding oil fields make up the last significant pocket of government-held territory in the north, the rest of which is under fighter control, including the capital Sanaa. Fierce fighting has left at least 65 dead over the past two days alone, including some 26 loyalist personnel, among them four officers, the government sources said. The Ansar Allah rarely disclose their own losses.
With the Ansar Allah taking control of the Kassara front, the battles have moved to the Al Mil area, which is a mere six kilometres from the centre of Marib and its population centres, they said. However, mountains around Al Mil remain a formidable barrier to the rebels who launched their fierce campaign for Marib city in February.
The government sources said the Ansar Allah fighters had poured in hundreds of reinforcements in recent days to achieve the gains, resorting to motorbikes after the coalition targeted their military vehicles.
The loss of Marib would be a major blow for the Yemeni government and for Saudi Arabia which has supported its militarily since March 2015, after the rebels captured Sanaa. Observers say the Ansar Allah are intent on capturing the city in order to gain leverage before entering into any negotiations with the government, amid a US push to revive peace talks.
The city’s fall could also lead to a humanitarian disaster, as vast numbers of civilians displaced from fighting elsewhere have sought refuge in the area. — AFP
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