Daijiworld Media Network - Sanaa
Sanaa, Sept 7: A senior commander of Yemeni government forces, Khaled bin Dowaid Muthanna, was killed along with several escorts in a Houthi drone strike in southern Marib province, military sources confirmed on Saturday.
Muthanna, who served as chief of staff of the southern front in Marib, was targeted by a drone while at a military site in the Al-Falihah area. The attack also left several others wounded and occurred in the absence of active clashes in the area, according to government sources.
The strike comes amid rising tensions in Harib district, a key front in Marib that has seen repeated flare-ups. On Friday, government troops engaged in heavy fighting with Houthi forces trying to advance on strategic military positions. Multiple casualties were reported on both sides.
Reports suggest Muthanna was leading a reconnaissance patrol when his unit came under sudden fire. His aide was killed on the spot, and several others were evacuated with injuries.
Military officials have labelled the attack part of a wider Houthi strategy to destabilise southern Marib and reclaim lost territory. One source noted the group’s continued reliance on Iranian-supplied weapons, saying the strike undermines peace efforts in the region.
In a separate incident on Saturday, government forces repelled a Houthi infiltration attempt in the Al-Karifat front, east of Taiz city, killing four Houthi fighters and injuring others, according to the government-run September 26 news outlet. The clash occurred near the Karom and Sawda hills, areas of frequent conflict.
The Houthi group has yet to comment on either incident.
Yemen remains in a fragile state following the breakdown of a UN-brokered truce in late 2022. Renewed violence in Marib and Taiz threatens to escalate the conflict further. The Yemeni government has condemned the drone attack, deployed reinforcements, and stepped up aerial surveillance to deter further incursions.
Marib holds immense strategic importance, not only for its oil infrastructure but also as a refuge for thousands of internally displaced civilians caught in the crossfire of Yemen’s long-running war.