Aden (South24 Center)

Southern armed forces repelled attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi militia across four military fronts over the past 96 hours, according to official statements and military sources who spoke to ‘South24 Center’.

The fiercest clashes occurred in the Yafa front between Lahj and Al-Bayda governorates, where southern troops countered a series of assaults that began Tuesday night (April 29) and continued until Saturday morning (May 3). The attacks resulted in the deaths of two Southern soldiers and injuries to five others, as well as an unspecified number of Houthi casualties.

Southern Forces spokesman Lt. Col. Mohammed Al-Naqeeb told ‘South24 Center’: "The Houthi militia launched new attacks against our forces in Yafa this morning using drones." The military spokesperson said the Houthis attempted to recover the bodies of their fallen fighters under heavy fire cover. He also noted that intelligence has suggested about Houthi mobilizations in Al-Bayda areas for potential new attacks.

In an official statement, the Southern Giants Brigade announced repelling a Houthi dawn attack Saturday in Al-Jafrah area of Al-Abdiyah district, southern Marib governorate, inflicting losses on the attackers. The brigade also reported silencing Houthi firing positions in Jabal Al-Yahmoum, west of Harib district in Marib. A military source said that three Giants Brigade soldiers were killed and six wounded in these southern Marib clashes.

The Giants Brigade has controlled Harib district since January 2022 after expanding there following the liberation of Bayhan, Ain and Aseelan districts in Shabwa governorate from Houthi control. They also maintain control over Al-Jafrah, the center of Al-Abdiyah district in Marib.

On Wednesday (April 30), Shabwa Defense Forces thwarted a Houthi attack on military positions in Markha Al-Ulya district bordering Al-Bayda governorate, with the Houthis suffering losses, according to the statement.

Al-Bayda governorate serves as a key Houthi stronghold in central Yemen, bordering eight Yemeni governorates including Abyan, Lahj, Shabwa, Al-Dhalea and Marib. Formerly, an Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) stronghold, the Houthis fully seized control of Al-Bayda in September 2021.

These developments threaten the situation of de-escalation prevalent in Yemen since the expiration of the UN-brokered humanitarian truce between April-October 2022, which was not officially renewed.