The governor of Yemen’s southwestern province of Taiz, Nabil Shamsan, escaped a Houthi drone attack that targeted his convoy upon his return from a visit to the port city of Mocha on Saturday. At the same time, Houthis have been expanding their efforts to take over the Hareb district of Marib province.
According to observers, the assassination attempt coupled with the escalation in Marib suggest that the Houthis will be returning to wider military hostilities to secure new gains in Yemen.
The Houthi drone attack killed one of Shamsan’s bodyguards and injured two others. Observers warned that this murder attempt could derail a new prisoner exchange agreement brewing in Switzerland.
Muammar Al-Eryani, Yemen’s information minister, condemned the Houthis for targeting the convoy while it was travelling from the Red Sea town of Mocha to Taiz.
Eryani noted that the drone used in the attack was made in Iran.
“This sinful targeting, which comes in the wake of the terrorist Houthi militia’s continuous escalation on multiple fronts, confirms its insistence on sabotaging efforts to restore the ceasefire and calm the situation,” the minister said on Twitter.
EHe ryani had earlier warned that large-scale military operations would resume throughout the nation if the Houthis continued their assaults on government soldiers, particularly in the central province of Marib.
“Besides the targeting of the governor of Taiz being a cowardly terrorist attack, it proves that Houthis have no consideration for Islam’s holy month of fasting, Ramadan,” said the minister, insisting that Houthis are the sole beneficiary of the protracted war in Yemen.
Eryani called on the UN, the permanent members of the UN Security Council and the UN Special Envoy to Yemen, to break their silence on recent Houthi escalation and condemn the Iran-backed group for its terror activities.
He also urged pressuring Houthi militias and listing the group and its leadership in international terrorism blacklists.
