Violent battles continued between the internationally recognized Yemeni government forces and the Houthi forces in the Marib governorate, on the other hand, the Southern Transitional Council made military changes following disagreements between its leaders.
Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed bin Mubarak said, "The continued military escalation in Marib sends a clear signal that the Houthis are not interested in achieving any progress in the peace process."
Since last February, the Houthis have stepped up their attacks in Marib Governorate in order to control it, as it is the most important stronghold of the government and the main headquarters of the Ministry of Defense, in addition to its enjoyment of oil and gas wealth.
A military source said, "Houthi forces have taken control of sites in the Al-Mashjah front in Sarwah, west of Ma'rib," and that the Yemeni army is fighting battles to retake sites west of the governorate.
The same source indicated that the dead and wounded were killed on both sides during the battles of the past days.
The Houthi media did not report the battles for Marib.
The media center of the Yemeni army stated that the artillery forces destroyed 3 Houthi vehicles carrying heavy machine guns, and caused deaths and injuries in the ranks of this group.
On Friday, the Yemeni army announced the destruction of 3 drones for the Houthi group in the governorates of Ma'rib (east) and Taiz (southwest).
On the other hand, Houthi media reported that the Saudi-led coalition launched 16 airstrikes on sites in Sirwah, west of the Ma'rib governorate.
Saudi media reported at dawn today that the coalition intercepted 3 booby-trapped drones launched by the Houthis towards the south of the Kingdom, and the group also announced the targeting of an "important" military site at the Saudi King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait with a drone.
The group had previously announced the implementation of an attack operation with 3 drones, two on the King Khalid base, and the other on an Aramco oil company facility in Jizan.
Meanwhile, the US State Department said, "There are one million people in Marib, central Yemen, who need urgent humanitarian aid."
The US envoy to Yemen, Timothy Lenderking, called for a halt to the escalation in Marib in order to secure the humanitarian needs of thousands of displaced families.
Disputes in Aden
In a related context, the Southern Transitional Council (supported by the UAE), on Friday, made military changes in its ranks, following disagreements between its leaders.
The Anadolu Agency correspondent stated that the council assigned Brigadier General Abdul Salam Zain Al-Bayhani Al-Yafei the tasks of commanding the support and support forces (the security belt) to succeed its former commander, Brigadier General Mohsen Al-Wali.
He added that the council also appointed Colonel Jalal Al-Rubaie to serve as the staff of the support and support brigades, replacing Colonel Nabil Al-Mashouchi.
In early March, the two sacked commanders, Al-Wali and Al-Mashoushi, escaped an assassination attempt after an explosive device exploded in their convoy in the city of Aden, killing and wounding more than 10 of their guards.
According to observers, this change came after disagreements between the governor and the head of the council, Aidaroos al-Zubaidi.
A source in the Security Belt Forces - to Anadolu Agency, preferring not to be named - said that the UAE summoned the governor and his family to the capital, Abu Dhabi, last Tuesday, so that the decision to dismiss him came later.
The source did not clarify further details about the reason for the UAE summoning the governor.
The Transitional Council was established in 2017, as it demands the secession of southern Yemen from its north, claiming that successive governments marginalized the south politically and economically and plundered its wealth.
On the security and military front, the council has controlled the temporary capital, Aden, since August 2019, in addition to its control over other southern regions.
Yemen has been witnessing a war for nearly 7 years, which has claimed the lives of more than 233,000 people, and 80% of the population of about 30 million people have become dependent on support and aid, in the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, according to the United Nations.
The conflict has regional extensions, since March 2015, an Arab coalition led by the Saudi neighbor has been carrying out military operations in Yemen in support of government forces, in the face of the Iran-backed Houthis who control provinces, including the capital, Sanaa (north).