Clashes in Yemen have left 67 dead in the past 24 hours among Houthi rebels and pro-government soldiers in the battle for Marib, the last loyalist stronghold in the warring north of the country, according to military and medical sources.
"
Fifty-eight rebels and nine government soldiers have been killed in fighting and airstrikes in the provinces of Marib and Chabwa (near Marib),
" military sources told AFP, a death toll confirmed by sources. medical.
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More than 20 raids against the rebels have been carried out by the Saudi-led military coalition which has supported loyalist forces since 2015, according to government sources.
The rebels, close to Iran, already control a large part of northern Yemen, including the capital Sana'a taken in 2014. The Houthis rarely report casualties in the fighting.
The fighting around Marib has intensified in recent days killing dozens of people, amid a diplomatic deadlock for a ceasefire.
About 400 fighters from both sides perished in September.
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Since February, the rebels have been trying to take control of this oil-rich province, located about 120 kilometers from the capital Sana'a, and which is the main missing link for power in the north of the country.
The loss of Marib would be a dismal failure for the government and the Saudi Arabia that supports him.
In a few months, however, the Houthis made inroads towards Marib on different fronts, gradually approaching the city.
The Battle of Marib has exacerbated the conflict in Yemen, where the world's worst humanitarian disaster is rife according to the UN, which warns of the risk of large-scale famine.
Some 80% of the 30 million inhabitants depend on humanitarian aid which is underfunded.
Tens of thousands of deaths
International organizations estimate that the war has left tens of thousands dead and millions internally displaced.
While the UN and Washington are pushing for the end of the war, the Houthis have notably demanded the reopening of the Sanaa airport, under Saudi blockade since 2016, before any ceasefire or negotiations.
The efforts of the United Nations in recent years to end the fighting have been unsuccessful.
In June, the former UN envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, drew up a report of failure after a three-year mission.
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His successor, Swedish diplomat Hans Grundberg, called for "
lasting peace
".
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It is imperative that all efforts be made to relaunch a political process that can generate lasting solutions that meet the expectations of Yemeni women and men
," he added in a statement.
Marib is home to more than two million displaced people in 139 camps, a refuge threatened by the Houthi offensive.