Yemen:  The Houthi militia launched large-scale attacks against the Yemen's government forces stationed in the country's oil-rich province of Marib on Thursday, according to reports.

According to official statement, "Several areas and positions controlled by the government forces were heavily attacked by the Houthis who are expanding their military operations aimed at capturing Marib" Ferocious battles are still taking place between the two warring sides in various areas of Marib amid intensified airstrikes, the source added.

During the past 48 hours, 40 Houthis and 18 soldiers of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces were killed, he confirmed. He clarified that scores of the Houthi fighters were left injured as warplanes of the Saudi Arabia-led coalition continued striking their positions in Marib.

Another official of the government forces said before media that "a series of Saudi-led airstrikes largely participated in aborting the Houthi offensive against Marib". He said that "hundreds of new Houthi fighters from other northern provinces were dispatched to Marib as reinforcements for the rebel militia". The Houthis also intensified their random shelling against the government-controlled areas in Marib's southern part, causing civilian casualties, according to the official. In February, the Houthis began a major offensive on Marib in an attempt to seize control of the oil-rich province, the government's last northern stronghold. The UN has warned that the offensive on Marib, which hosts nearly 1 million internally displaced people, could lead to a major humanitarian catastrophe.

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