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| - Clashes between Yemeni government forces and Huthi rebels intensified Saturday in the strategic province of Marib, with military sources saying a senior loyalist commander was among dozens of fighters killed. Earlier this month, the Iran-backed Huthis resumed a push to capture Marib city, which lies close to some of Yemen's richest oil fields in the north of the country. Hundreds of fighters from both sides were killed in fighting since Friday, according to government sources. The Huthis do not usually release casualty tolls. "Twenty-two members of the government forces and more than 28 rebels have died in the last 24 hours in the fighting," including special forces commander in Marib General Abdel Ghani Shaalan, a military source said. "Fighting continues unabated on all fronts in Marib province," the source added. The Saudi-led coalition launched more than 12 air strikes in support of government forces on the ground, according to the Huthi-run Al Masirah TV channel. On Friday, more than 60 fighters were killed in fighting in Marib, the bloodiest day since the start of the offensive on February 8. Yemen has been plagued by violence since 2014, after Huthi rebels seized the capital Sanaa, forcing the government to move its base to the southern port of Aden. The Huthis now control most of the country's north and the government supported by the Saudi-led military coalition has been struggling to defend Marib province and the city. The United Nations, which says Yemen is facing the world's worst humanitarian crisis, last week warned of a potential humanitarian disaster if the fight for Marib continues. Until early last year, life in Marib was relatively peaceful, despite war raging elsewhere in the Arabian Peninsula country. With its proximity to the Saudi border, the province was largely untouched by the first years of conflict and even flourished, as those who sought sanctuary there opened businesses and restaurants. The UN now says the fighting has put "millions of civilians at risk". The upsurge in violence this month comes after Washington decided to remove the Huthis from its list of terrorist groups to ensure aid is unimpeded and to pave the way toward restarting peace talks. Observers say the Huthis want to capture Marib as leverage before entering into any negotiations. US envoy Tim Lenderking headed Monday to the region on a tour of Gulf countries, as he seeks ways to end Yemen's brutal war. His discussions "will focus on the United States' dual-track approach to end the conflict in Yemen: a lasting political solution and humanitarian relief for the Yemeni people," a statement from the State Department said, without specifying his exact stops. Yemen's grinding conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions, according to international organisations. faw/sy/hkb/sw
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