Yemeni army inflicting heavy damage on Houthis in Maarib

Yemeni army troops succeeded in foiling the advance of the Houthi militia in most of Yemen in the past period.

This was especially true in the strategic province of Maarib where the Houthis have been working hard to impose their control.

Houthi control over Maarib can help the militia slice northern Yemen away from its southern part.

The Houthi militia failed in infiltrating the al-Kasara front in western Maarib, thanks to the ability of the army to sabotage Houthi attacks.

The Yemeni army also inflicted huge losses on the Houthis, forcing them to retreat.

The Media Center of the army quoted a military source as saying that a large number of the members of the militia were killed.

The army also shelled Houthi militiamen sparsely concentrated in different parts of Maarib and inflicted major damage on them, the source said.

Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi said the latest Houthi escalation showed that the Iran-backed militia has no plan to make peace and end the war in Yemen.

He welcomed initiatives for bringing about peace in the war-ravaged state.

President Hadi also said that he is ready to back the work of the US envoy to Yemen.

"Yemenis will not accept the Iranian model to be repeated in Yemen," President Hadi said.

The Human Rights Office in Maarib has documented 14,860 violations committed by the Houthi militia against civilians in the eastern province in the past few years.

Office head Abdrabbuh Gedie said the violations included 615 civilian deaths with rocket attacks by the Houthis on residential areas in Maarib.