40 rebels dead as fighting intensifies in Yemen's embattled province

Fighting has intensified between Yemen's government forces and Houthi rebels in the energy-rich province of Marib, leaving at least 40 rebels dead, a government military official said on Sunday.
The Iran-linked rebels initiated an offensive in February to capture Marib, the last area under the Saudi-backed government's control in northern Yemen.
Repeated international calls have since been made to stop military escalation and revive peace talks to end Yemen's war of more than six years.
Fierce clashes had erupted between both sides in Marib from Saturday night until early Sunday, Lieutenant Colonel Abdel-Raqeeb al-Shadadi, a military government adviser, told dpa.
There were several Houthi attacks on the positions of pro-government forces in the area, he said.
Saudi-led coalition jets unleashed a series of strikes against the rebels and their military hardware, he added.
"The army repulsed the [rebel] attacks, killed more than 40 fighters of them, injured others and captured scores of them," he said.
The fighting also resulted in unspecified "minor casualties" among the government forces, he added.
So far, there has been no comment from the rebels.
Yemen has been roiled by a devastating power struggle since late 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital, Sana'a, and other areas of the country.
Months later, when the rebels advanced towards the temporary capital, Aden, Saudi Arabia formed a military coalition backing the Yemeni government and its forces against the Houthis in March 2015.
The conflict has pushed Yemen to the verge of famine and devastated its health facilities. The coronavirus pandemic also aggravated the crisis in the impoverished country.