Houthis Launch Missile Attack on Yemen's Marib Amid Escalating Tensions

Yemen's Houthi group has launched a missile attack on the government-held city of Marib in the oil-rich province of Marib. Pro-government media reported that three ballistic missiles were fired at neighbourhoods in the city, but no immediate casualties or damage have been confirmed.

The Houthis have intensified their missile and drone attacks against government-held areas in Yemen and targets in neighbouring Saudi Arabia in recent weeks. The group announced a maritime ban on Saudi shipping on July 20 and has since claimed attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea as well as energy facilities inside the kingdom.

The escalation of tensions between the Houthi-Saudi comes amid a fragile de facto ceasefire that has largely held since the expiration of a UN-brokered truce in April 2022. The Houthi have yet to comment on the reported attack, but residents contacted by Xinhua news agency confirmed hearing several loud explosions across the city around the time of the reported missile strikes.