ADEN: Houthi group in Yemen on Sunday, March 26, intensified their military operations targeting various areas controlled by the country's government, further exacerbating the years-long conflict, a government official statement read.

As er reports, the Houthi group in Yemen increased its military operations on Sunday against several areas governed by the government of the country, aggravating the conflict that has been going on for years. On the condition of anonymity, the local government official said that "the Houthis attacked the government's Shabwa Defense Forces stationed in a hilly terrain that links the Merkhah Al Ulya district with the nearby Bayda province, provoking brutal armed engagements."

The crisis hasn't shown any signs of ending despite recent international efforts to mediate a settlement, as the Houthis have continued to strike critical locations, particularly in the oil-rich districts of Shabwa and Marib over the previous 48 hours.

the Yemeni official said, the Houthis' ongoing military activities in these oil-rich districts demonstrate their desire to increase their hold on Yemen and its resources. "After hours of battle, the government forces were able to stop the Houthi assault on Shabwa, resulting in many deaths and injuries on both sides," the official added.

The Houthis started preparing elsewhere in Yemen for a massive military operation against Marib, which is strategically significant because it is home to gas resources and an oil refinery. 
The Houthi rebels have been attempting to seize control of the Harib region of Marib while the government forces have been fighting valiantly to keep their own. The Houthis launched a drone attack against a government convoy in Yemen's Taiz governorate on Saturday, just missing the defence minister and other top officials.

The most recent Houthi strikes on military officers and areas under control of the Yemeni government delivered a severe blow to international diplomatic efforts to end violence and advance peace in Yemen, risking the advancement that has been made thus far.

It also comes at a particularly critical time, as the 2 warring sides had agreed in Switzerland to exchange several war prisoners under the auspices of the United Nations.

The UN-sponsored agreement was viewed as a key step in fostering confidence between Yemen's warring groups and advancing talks towards a comprehensive peace deal.

After a spike in Houthi attacks in Marib, Yemen's government issued a warning on Friday about a potential resumption to all-out armed confrontation in the war-torn Arab nation. When a cease-fire mediated by the UN in April expired in October of last year, various districts of Yemen have seen periodic violent clashes between the local fighting factions.

Since 2014, the Houthis have been engaged in a bloody civil war in Yemen, fighting against the internationally recognised government and its allies, including a coalition commanded by Saudi Arabia. The protracted war nearly took the most impoverished nation in the Arab world to its knees, resulting in immense suffering, starvation, and a broken food supply chain that denied millions of people access to healthy food.

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