Saudi Arabia-led coalition reveals 150 Iran-backed Houthi rebels killed in Yemen air raids

More than 150 Iran-backed Houthi rebels were killed in air raids conducted by Saudi-led military coalition around the northern pro-government bastion of Marib earlier yesterday, a Yemeni-based newspaper The New Arab confirmed on Saturday. This comes just a couple of days after the security officials from both sides speaking on condition of anonymity informed Associated Press that massive casualties were reported in clashes between Yemen’s government forces and Houthis, majorly on the Houthis side. The latter had launched an offensive on the rivals across 14 districts in Marib this past week. Hundreds of rebel Houthis were injured in the same clashes. 

On Nov. 6, however, Saudi Arabia’s state news agency announced that several of the Iranian-backed rebel Houthis were killed in an airstrike led by the coalition, which backs Yemen's internationally recognized government. Saudi Arabian led allied forces’ toll, meanwhile as of Saturday, remained unclear. More than 2,000 Houthis have been neutralized in the Saudi-led airstrikes in conflict-ridden Yemen since October.

"Fourteen military vehicles were destroyed and more than 157 terrorist elements eliminated" in the latest raids, the coalition statement carried by the Saudi state news agency SPA read. 

Saudi coalition forces airstrike target oil-rich Marib province

The airstrikes targeted two regions of oil-rich Marib province, Al-Jawf in the north and the south's Al-Bayda, as well as Sirwah, west of Marib city. Saudi intensified the military offensive against the Houthis after the rebel forces launched a major push to seize the city, making advances. Just last week, Saudi Press Agency reported that at least "11 military vehicles were destroyed and more than 160 terrorist elements eliminated” in over  32 airstrikes conducted in Abdiya over the past 24 hours. Although the reported toll could not be independently verified by the agencies on the ground.

Over 700 Iran-backed rebels were killed last week in air raids launched in Marib and the Yemeni government's last stronghold in the north, Abdiya, located at about 100 kilometres (60 miles) from Marib. Officials told agencies on condition of anonymity that the Houthi rebel forces"kidnapped, imprisoned and abused" members of the Yemeni community who were in support of the pro-government forces.