Yemeni government retakes Shabwa province from Houthis
The advance could relieve pressure on embattled Marib if pro-government forces can hold their ground.
Yemeni pro-government forces claimed to have retaken the country’s entire southern province of Shabwa from Houthi rebels.
The Giants Brigade, a pro-government militia backed by the United Arab Emirates, claimed to have captured the province after a 10-day operation.
The Associated Press cited two anonymous Houthi officials as confirming they had lost control of the province. The governor of the province announced its “liberation” and thanked Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for their assistance. The two countries are the largest contributors to the Saudi-led military coalition backing Yemen’s government against the Iran-linked Houthi rebels.
Fighting continues in neighboring oil-rich Marib province to the northwest, where districts outside the government-held city have changed hands numerous times under repeated bombardment by Gulf coalition warplanes.
