Battle for Marib: Last city in north Yemen under gov’t control

Marib’s fall would highlight the Saudis’ failure to overcome a ‘ragtag’ pro-Iranian militia.

On the front lines to the west of Marib, the last major city under complete government control in Yemen’s north, the battles are still fierce. The Houthi rebels, despite six years of Saudi-led military intervention to counter their attempted takeover of the Yemeni state, are on the offensive. If Marib falls, it would highlight the Saudis’ failure to overcome an armed group that was seen as a ragtag pro-Iranian militia at the start of the war. It would also prove disastrous for a Yemeni government that has struggled to stamp its authority even on territory nominally under its control as it faces enemies from within the anti-Houthi camp.