Government forces repelled a series of attacks over the weekend in Al-Jawf that lasted for twenty straight hours at the Al-Salila front in Khab Al-Shaaf district, which is one of the last districts in Al-Jawf remaining under government control.

A military source working for Sixth Military Region told Almasdar Online that the Houthis launched a major, sustained attack in Al-Utamah area of Khab Al-Sha’af, but the army managed to repel them. The Houthi fighters suffered considerable losses of life and equipment, the source said, adding that Coalition aircraft launched several raids against the Houthi forces.

Khab Al-Shaaf, in addition to parts of Al-Hazm and Barat Anan districts, are the last bastions of government control remaining in Al-Jawf. The clashes over the weekend were the latest in a wider escalation between government forces and the Houthis across several frontlines between Marib and Sana’a cities.

On March 1, the Houthis advanced into Al-Hazm, the governorate capital of Al-Jawf, in a surprise advance that has placed the group in a strategic position for advancement toward Marib city and nearby oil and gas infrastructure. To deter further escalation, on Saturday UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths made his first visit to Marib city and met with Governor Sultan Al-Arada.