17 killed in Houthi missile strike on Yemen’s Marib

Cairo: Yemen’s Iran-aligned Al Houthi militia had launched a missile and drone attack in the northern city of Marib, killing at least 17 civilians and injuring five others, a government official said.

A ballistic missile launched by the rebels hit a petrol station in the city on Saturday and minutes later they fired an explosives-rigged drone against the ambulances which had rushed to provide medical aid to the victims, Information Minister Moammar Al Iryani said.

Activists posted online footage of a charred body of a five-year-old girl killed in the attack.

The attack occurred while dozens of cars were waiting at the station to be refueled, local sources said.

“This heinous crime is an extension of Al Houthi militia’s continued and deliberate targeting of residential districts and civilian facilities in the city of Marib with the aim of causing the highest number of civilian casualties after failure of their military escalation there,” Al Iryani said.

In February, Al Houthis started a major offensive to seize Marib, the last government stronghold in north Yemen.

Yemen plunged into war after Al Houthis toppled the internationally recognised government there and overran parts of the impoverished country including the capital Sana’a.

Last week, the US blamed Al Houthis for the continued conflict, saying they “bear major responsibility for refusing to engage meaningfully on a ceasefire”.

The war has created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, according to the UN.