Barran Press
In a coordinated attack, Houthi rebels, designated as a terrorist group by several countries, targeted both a military site and road workers in Marib Governorate on Thursday, June 6, 2024. The attacks resulted in the deaths of six soldiers and injuries to eight others, while a road worker was critically injured by a sniper shot.
The Houthi snipers targeted workers operating equipment to open the Marib-Bayda road, which the group had claimed to open on Tuesday after a 100-day delay. A bulldozer driver named Ya'ish Ahmed Hussein Al-Omari was seriously injured in the attack and transported to a local hospital.
The attack on the road workers came shortly after the arrival of a convoy of travelers from Houthi-controlled areas, part of a broader initiative to reopen roads between Marib and Sana'a. The convoy had faced a six-day delay at Houthi checkpoints north of Bayda before being allowed to pass.
Simultaneously, Houthi forces shelled a military position belonging to the Yemeni army in the Al-Zur front west of Marib, causing the deaths of six soldiers and injuries to eight others.
The Houthi attacks come just two days after the arrival of the traveler convoy, highlighting the group's continued disregard for humanitarian efforts and commitment to violence. The attacks also underscore the challenges faced in implementing the initiative to reopen roads, which was launched by Marib Governorate's Deputy Governor, Major General Sultan Al-Arada, in February.
Despite widespread public support for Al-Arada's initiative, the Houthis initially resisted, delaying the reopening of the crucial Marib-Sana'a road for over 100 days. Only after facing significant public pressure did the group partially comply, opening a different, more treacherous route.
The attacks on the road workers and the military site demonstrate the Houthi's ongoing aggression and their disregard for the safety and well-being of civilians. The attacks also raise concerns about the future of the road reopening initiative and the potential for further violence in the region.