The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council has threatened to withdraw from the Yemeni government in protest of appointments made by President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

While a journalist was assassinated and her husband was injured in the explosion of their car in Aden, the military coalition announced that it had killed more than 100 Houthis in new raids around Ma'rib.

The Southern Transitional Council said today, Tuesday, that it is ready to complete the implementation of the provisions of the Riyadh Agreement signed with the Yemeni government, but accused the other party of obstructing this agreement.

The council warned that it may have to take a position on continuing to participate in the current government, accusing the other party of issuing what it described as "unilateral, non-consensual decisions", in reference to decisions issued by Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi a few days ago to appoint directors for the two oil companies and Aden refineries.

The council - which participates in the government with 5 ministerial portfolios - demanded that urgent and chronic measures be taken to complete the implementation of the Riyadh Agreement, foremost of which is the appointment of governors and security directors for the southern governorates, agreeing on a new administration for the Central Bank, restructuring and activating the economic and supervisory bodies, as well as restructuring the Ministries of Defense and Interior and the transfer of forces. To the fronts of confronting the Houthi militia.

In Aden, which is under the control of the council, a pregnant Yemeni journalist was killed and her husband was seriously injured today, Tuesday, in an explosion targeting their car.

Media close to the council reported that journalist Rasha Abdullah was killed along with her fetus, while her husband, journalist Mahmoud al-Atmi, was seriously injured, in an explosion targeting their car in the Khor Maksar district of Aden.

She added that the explosion was caused by an explosive device attached to the car and was detonated from a distance.

No party has claimed responsibility for the explosion, and there has been no comment from the authorities in Aden.


Marib front

On the ground, the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen announced today, Tuesday, the killing of more than 110 Houthi rebels in the past 24 hours, in new raids around Marib, the last stronghold of the government in the north of the country.

The coalition said - in a statement broadcast by the Saudi Press Agency - that it had carried out "30 operations targeting militia mechanisms and elements" in the past 24 hours.

He added that these raids led to "the destruction of 22 military vehicles and a storage site for weapons and ammunition, and the elimination of 110 terrorist elements."

The raids targeted the Sirwah area in western Marib, and Al-Jawf Governorate, near Marib, in northern Yemen.

For a month, the coalition has announced daily air strikes to halt the advance of the rebels.

These raids killed about 3,200 fighters, according to coalition data.

The coalition is trying to prevent the Houthis from reaching the city of Marib, the last stronghold of the internationally recognized government in the north of the country.

The rebels' control of this oil-rich region would facilitate their expansion into other provinces and strengthen their negotiating position in any future peace talks.

A government military official acknowledged last week that the rebels were advancing towards Marib.


A call for peace

In addition, the UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, said that "working for peace in Yemen is an uphill battle, but we must not forget that there is always a way to break the cycle of violence. There are always opportunities for peaceful dialogue."

Hans had visited - yesterday, Monday - the besieged city of Taiz by the Houthis.

On Monday, the US envoy to Yemen, Timothy Lenderking, made his first visit to the country.

For its part, the International Union of Muslim Scholars called on Islamic countries and the entire free world to support the Yemeni people, especially in the Ma'rib Governorate (central), in light of the aggravation of the humanitarian crisis as a result of the raging war.

The Secretary-General of the federation, Ali Al-Qarra Daghi, expressed the federation's regret over "the international community's failure to address the Yemeni issue, and release most of the brothers."

Al-Qara Daghi urged the United Nations, Islamic and Arab countries to work to stop the crimes Yemenis are exposed to, and to find a solution that would achieve dignity and stability for the Yemeni people.

The conflict in Yemen has been between a government backed by the Saudi-led military coalition since 2015, and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels who have controlled large areas in the north and west of the country, as well as the capital, Sanaa, since 2014.

The conflict resulted in the killing of tens of thousands of people, including many civilians, according to several humanitarian organizations.