Yemeni army liberates Ma’rib area from grip of Saudi forces

Yemeni army soldiers and allied fighters from Popular Committees have managed to establish full control over a neighborhood in the central province of Ma’rib.

Local media reported that the Yemeni forces liberated the mountainous al-Atif area in Ma’rib’s Sirwah district on Wednesday night, Press TV reported.

The territorial gain came after a heavy battle with al-Qaeda terrorists and the Saudi-led coalition forces, the reports said.

They added that fighting is currently underway between the Yemeni forces and Saudi-affiliated militants in Sirwah’s Idat al-Rai area.

Meanwhile, Saudi fighter jets bombarded west of Ma’rib at least 12 times in the past few hours.

The oil and gas-rich province is considered the last stronghold of Saudi-backed forces in northern Yemen.

Earlier, Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the spokesman of Yemen’s popular Houthi Ansarullah movement, said that Ma’rib has turned into one of the most important military bases of the occupiers and that the battle for its liberation has been going on since the beginning of the war.