Two civilians killed in Houthi strike on Yemen's Marib, government says
At least two civilians have been killed and 14 others injured in a Houthi attack on the government-held city of Marib in eastern Yemen, according to the country's internationally recognised government. The strike was reported on Friday and was described by officials as the latest in a series of attacks affecting front lines across the country. Authorities said the assault hit residential areas and displacement camps.
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Yemen's health minister, Qassem Bahaibah, said the casualty figure was preliminary and accused the Houthis of targeting civilians. In a post on X, he referred to the group as a terrorist militia and said health facilities had been told to raise their alert and preparedness levels. The Ministry of Public Health and Population also condemned the attack in strong terms, saying the deliberate targeting of safe residential neighbourhoods and camps for displaced people amounted to a serious breach of international humanitarian law.
Marib is strategically important because it hosts the largest number of displaced families in Yemen, according to the United Nations refugee agency. That makes the city both a military objective and a major civilian shelter area in a conflict that has repeatedly pushed people from their homes. The latest strike therefore carries significance beyond the immediate casualties, because it adds pressure on already strained health services and on communities living in temporary accommodation.
The attack came one day after the Houthis killed at least 30 government soldiers in Hadramout and Marib provinces, according to the same reporting. Earlier on Friday, the Yemeni Defence Ministry said its forces had shot down several Houthi drones over Marib. The sequence of events suggests continued fighting on multiple fronts, with both sides claiming gains and losses in a conflict that has remained active despite periods of relative calm.
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The Houthis did not immediately comment on the government's account of the Marib strike. The government said the casualty toll could still change, which means the full scale of the damage has not yet been confirmed. It also called on humanitarian and human-rights organisations to take a more urgent stance to protect civilians.
For now, the main questions are whether the injured number rises, whether further attacks follow, and how the situation develops around Marib's residential districts and displacement camps.
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