The Saudi-led military coalition launched an operation against rebels in Yemen on Sunday March 7, 2021 with strikes in particular on the capital Sana’a, the first in months after the interception of Houthi drones, according to Riyadh, on Saudi territory. These drone attacks have not been claimed, but the official Saudi agency SPA blamed the Houthi rebels, who have stepped up fire against the Saudi kingdom in recent weeks and threatened new attacks. At the same time, the rebels resumed their offensive against the oil town of Marib, the last stronghold in northern Yemen still in loyalist hands.
“The military operation targets the military capabilities of the Houthis in Sanaa and other provinces of Yemen,” said the coalition quoted by SPA on Sunday. The air raids caused huge explosions in Sana’a, sending columns of smoke in the sky, noted a correspondent and a photographer of Agence France-Presse. The Houthis reported seven airstrikes on the capital.
The raids come after the coalition announced the interception in Saudi Arabia of 12 drones launched on Sunday against the kingdom, in what constitutes an escalation of attacks on Saudi territory. According to the coalition, which has militarily supported the Yemeni government since 2015 in its war against the rebels, the drones were directed against “civilian” targets.
« Red line “
Targeting civilians in Saudi Arabia is “a red line,” the coalition said. This upsurge in violence comes as the US administration of Joe Biden urged the Houthis to de-escalate after removing them from the list of “terrorist organizations” so as not to hinder, according to it, the delivery of humanitarian aid to the United States. Yemen. But “the removal of the Houthis from the list of terrorist groups has been interpreted in a hostile manner by the Houthi militia,” says the coalition quoted by SPA. The “victories of pro-government forces against the Houthis in Marib, prompted the rebels to intensify their attacks on the kingdom,” she added.
On Saturday, government military sources reported at least 90 fighters killed on both sides in 24 hours in heavy clashes in Marib. The Houthis have been trying to wrest this strategic city from the loyalist forces supported by the Saudi air force for a month. The rebels are supported by Iran, the great rival in Riyadh region. But Tehran denies providing weapons to the Houthis. Having left their stronghold in northern Yemen in 2014, the rebels took control of large areas, including the capital Sana’a. Coming from the large Zaidite minority, they considered themselves marginalized by the central government.
Years of bombing have failed to shake the Houthi’s grip on Sana’a. The capture of Marib by the rebels would be a stinging setback for the government and its Saudi ally. The war in Yemen has left tens of thousands dead and millions displaced, according to NGOs, and led to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, according to the UN.
” Death sentence “
On Sunday, David Gressly, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, visited the port of Hodeidah on the Red Sea, a key entry point for humanitarian aid for the warring country. “I need to understand the situation in terms of food, fuel, health, water, education and other needs of the population,” he told reporters. “What we would like to see is the open port, not just for fuel, but for other products. ”
Last week, the UN warned of a “death penalty” against Yemen after a donor conference brought in less than half of the funds needed ($ 1.7 billion of the $ 3.85 billion hoped for) to fund emergency aid to avert a devastating famine. “After more than a year of Covid across the world, economies are weak and those who provide funding have a harder time giving money,” said David Gressly.
Shortly after arriving at the White House, Joe Biden announced the end of US support for the Saudi military campaign in Yemen, saying it had “created a humanitarian and strategic catastrophe.” But he also reaffirmed Washington’s support for Riyadh in the defense of its territory.
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