Cairo: The clash between Yemeni government forces and Houthi rebels the country attacked the main city of the Central Marib leaving a senior military commander to death Monday, officials said.
The development was a big blow to Yemeni government forces recognized internationally, who had fought for months against Houthis’s efforts supported by Iran to take Marib.
Houthi launched an early attack earlier this year in the city in an effort to complete their control over the northern Yemen.
Major Genesis Nasser al-Zubiani, who led the operation of the government’s armed forces, was killed at the forefront of the Balaq Mountains Line, south of the city of Marib, said the two officials, spoke with anonymous requirements because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
Al-Zubiani examined government forces and allied tribal fighters tried to prevent Houthi’s attack at that time.
Previous government forces had advanced several kilometers (miles) after a fierce battle in the south of the city, one of the officials.
The rebels increased the attack on Marib in recent weeks, sending waves of fighters to try and violate the government’s defense.
Hundreds of people were killed in clashes, most rebels, officials added.
The coalition led by Saudi, who struggled on the side of the government forces, said it was launching at least 35 air strikes in the rebel position around Marib for the weekend, killing at least 200 Houthi.
At least three more air strikes hit the rebels on the west coast of Yemen, he said.
Offensive Houthi Di Marib came when they suffered a blow elsewhere in this country.
Last month, government forces took the Hays district and the main highway that connected the city of Port Hodeida which was contested by the capital of the Sanaa rebels.
The Yemeni Civil War began in 2014 when Houthis took Sanaa and most of the northern part of the country, forced the President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hulu to escape south, then to Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi LED coalition, supported at that time by the US, entered the war later to try to restore Hadi to power.
Although non-stop air campaigns and land battles, the war had deteriorated being deadlocked, killing more than 130,000 civilians and fighters – and raised the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.
Increased violence in Marib and elsewhere in Yemen came when the United Nations had increased efforts to launch negotiations between parties who fought to find resolution against conflict.
The UN special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, met with Oman’s officials and head of Houthi Negotiator, Mohammed Abdul-Salam, in the capital of Muscat Oman, the UN mission said Monday, without determining when the meeting took place.
Oman has long acted as a mediator in the Middle East dispute.
The UN mission said Grundberg discussed “ways to raise violence” in Yemen and launched “political dialogue aimed at achieving a comprehensive and inclusive settlement.”