Drone attacks kill 35 govt soldiers in E. Yemen: military source

SANAA - At least 35 Yemeni government soldiers were killed and scores of others wounded on Thursday in drone attacks on military positions across the country's eastern provinces of Marib and Hadramout, a military official told Xinhua.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the attacks struck military barracks and positions at several locations across the two provinces, including bases of the newly-formed, Saudi-backed Yemeni emergency forces.

Some of the wounded are in critical condition, the official said, adding that ballistic missiles were believed to have been used in some of the attacks.

Meanwhile, the Yemeni emergency forces confirmed that several military camps and units, including positions belonging to its 1st Division, have been attacked, causing casualties and material losses.

The attacks followed recent security operations by government forces against criminal networks and smuggling groups operating in the region, the emergency forces said.

Yemen has been mired in conflict since late 2014, when the Houthis seized much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government.

A UN-brokered truce took effect in April 2022, and expired in October that year without a formal extension, but a fragile de facto ceasefire has largely held since then, despite sporadic clashes, shelling and drone attacks along several front lines.

Marib and Hadramout, both rich in oil and gas resources, remain among the most strategically important provinces under the control of the internationally recognized government.

Before the UN-brokered truce, Marib witnessed some of the conflict's fiercest fighting as Houthis sought to seize the province, while Hadramout was largely spared from major frontline combat.