Over 180 Yemen rebels killed in strikes south of Marib: coalition

RIYADH: The Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s government said on Friday it had killed more than 180 Huthi rebels in strikes south of the strategic city of Marib.

An operation "destroyed 10 military vehicles and killed more than 180 terrorist elements" in Abdiya and surrounding areas, south of Marib, the coalition said, cited by the official Saudi Press Agency.

The coalition has said hundreds of Iran-backed rebels have been killed in the battle for Marib in recent days. The rebels rarely comment on losses and the toll could not be independently verified by AFP.

The Yemeni civil war began in 2014 when the Huthis seized the capital Sanaa, 120-km west of Marib, prompting Saudi-led forces to intervene to prop up the government the following year. Tens of thousands of people have died and millions have been displaced in what the United Nations calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

The Huthis began a major push to seize Marib in February and, after a lull, they have renewed their offensive in recent weeks.

Tens of thousands of people have been displaced in the province this year, nearly 10,000 of them in September alone, according to the UN migration agency.