Michael Aron, the British Ambassador to Yemen, decried the latest attack of the Iranian-aligned Houthi group in Yemen’s Marib. In his tweet, Ambassador Aron said, “Shocking reports of explosions at a petrol station in Marib leaving dozens of civilians killed & injured.”
Urging the Houthi group to stop its offensiveness targeting civilians in the war-devastated country immediately, the British Ambassador highlighted the importance of implementing the UN-brokered nationwide ceasefire agreement. “An agreement on a nationwide ceasefire would prevent such tragic losses & allow humanitarian action,” the British diplomat added.
On Sunday, local media reported that an explosion had occurred in a gas station nearby the strategic city of Marib. Yemeni authorities made consecutive statements blaming the Houthi group for the attack. Yemen’s internationally recognized government’s Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism, Muammar Al Iryani, said that “the attack deliberately targeted civilian settlements and was a terrorist crime.”
On the other hand, the Houthis’ Supreme Political Council member, Mohammed Ali Al Houthi, shared a message, rejecting the allegations that the group carried out the attack, through his Twitter account. Stating that the so-called Houthi government Ministry of Defense was asked whether they had launched the attack, Mohammad Al Houthi said that the attack, that had been carried out by the group, targeted a military site and that the group has proofs on the issue.
Meanwhile, the death toll from the attack has risen to 21. Speaking to the local media, Yemeni Minister Al Iryani stated that two children were among the victims.
The Houthi attacks coincided with the Omani delegation’s visit to Sanaa to hold talks with the group’s officials over a nationwide ceasefire and political settlement for the ongoing crisis. Earlier, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, also paid a visit to the region to discuss with the Houthi officials. So far, the Houthis have rejected all initiatives coming from the international community to bring an end to conflict in Yemen.
