Barran Press
A renewed Houthi escalation has hampered the reopening of the Marib-Bayda road, resulting in the death of two Yemeni soldiers and several injuries on Sunday, June 9th, 2024.
According to sources speaking to Barran Press, the soldiers were killed by Houthi mortar fire while working to clear debris and obstacles along the road. The incident occurred in the "Al-Ya'arif" area, south of Marib. The soldiers were part of a demining team.
The attack comes just a day after the Third Military Region's Chief of Staff, Brigadier General Abdulraqib Dbuan, inspected the removal of roadblocks and debris from the Marib-Bayda asphalt road.
General Dbuan emphasized that the road's reopening, despite its location within a conflict zone, was a priority to alleviate the suffering of citizens forced to use dangerous alternative routes. He stressed that the military's actions are motivated by the well-being of the people and their rights.
The delay in clearing the road was attributed to Houthi attacks on workers, including a serious injury to a bulldozer driver last Wednesday.
On Thursday, June 6th, a similar incident occurred when a Houthi sniper shot and injured a grader driver who was also working to clear the road.
The Houthi attacks came just days after the group announced the road's opening on Tuesday, following 100 days of delays and obstruction by the Houthis.
On Thursday, a Houthi shelling of a military site in the Al-Zur front west of Marib resulted in the death of six soldiers and injuries to eight others.
The Houthi attacks followed the arrival of a convoy of travelers from Houthi-controlled areas to Marib on Tuesday, part of an initiative to open roads, including the Bayda-Marib route.
After over 100 days of resistance and delays, the Houthis, listed as a terrorist organization by the international community, announced a "partial response" to the road opening initiative on Tuesday, driven by public pressure following Marib Governor Sultan al-Arada's call for the reopening of all roads connecting Marib to Sana'a.
On Tuesday, June 4th, a convoy of travelers from Sana'a and Bayda arrived in Marib to implement Governor al-Arada's initiative. They had been held at Houthi checkpoints north of Bayda for six days before being allowed to pass, according to local sources.
On February 22nd, Governor al-Arada announced the opening of the Marib-Nehm-Sana'a road, along with other routes. He stated that the initiative was driven by humanitarian concerns to alleviate the suffering of travelers forced to use dangerous desert routes. He urged the Houthis to open the road from their side, emphasizing its humanitarian importance.
Governor al-Arada's initiative was widely welcomed by the Yemeni people, even among Houthi supporters. However, the Houthis delayed and evaded the initiative, initially refusing to open the Nehm road and instead offering the Sana'a-Sarwah route, which was met with public disapproval due to its rugged and dangerous terrain unsuitable for trucks and buses.