At least 16 killed in renewed fighting between pro-govt forces and Houthi rebels

Republican Yemen

At least 16 fighters were killed and 20 wounded in fighting that flared up on Tuesday between the Iran-aligned Houthi militia and government forces in Harib, south of the oil-rich city of Marib.

This comes after 10 months of relative calm between the two sides despite an agreement earlier this month between Tehran and Riyadh to restore diplomatic relations.

The fighting started late on March 21 and continued through March 22, forcing residents to leave their homes hours before the start of the holy month of Ramadan.

جانب من المعارك الشرسة التي اندلعت منذ يومين بين القوات الحكومية ومجاميع #الحوثيين في جبهات حريب ومناطق أخرى بمحافظة #مأرب، وذلك بعد أن دفع الحوثي بحشود ضخمة إلى محيط مأرب، خلال فترة الهدنة.#اليمن_الجمهوري pic.twitter.com/rhVF2u1jFA

— اليمن الجمهوري (@RepublicanYemen) March 23, 2023

According to military officials, the renewed fighting started when the Houthi militia attacked sites of pro-government sites in Harib, killing over 16 fighters on both sides.

The Houthis have been eying for Marib, the last stronghold of the internationally recognized government in north Yemen, since the beginning of the war in March 2015, but they have so far failed to capture the oil-rich city.