Casualty reports vary after Houthi attack on Saudis in Marib province in Yemen

(January 19)Reports on the number of casualties caused by an attack on a mosque in a military camp in the Yemeni central province of Marib vary widely. However one report claims more than 100 persons were killed and as many as 100 wounded

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The attack

Arab News reported: "The Houthis attacked a mosque in a military camp in the central province of Marib — about 170 kilometers (105 miles) east of the capital Sanaa — during evening prayers, military sources told AFP.“We strongly condemn the terrorist attack on a mosque by the Houthi militias... which left more than 100 dead and dozens injured,” the Yemeni foreign ministry said on Twitter." Although the attack was blamed on the Houthis no one has yet claimed responsibility.

Antiwar.com claimed the attack was by a missile but others claimed there was a drone involved as well. The Houthis are known to have substantial missile capabilities that they have used throughout the war.

The death toll estimate has doubled since the initial estimates and officials expected the number would continue to rise after the devastating strike. An earlier report in the Herald Sun said:The death toll in an attack on a Yemeni army camp has climbed to 75 soldiers, government military officials have announced. Initially, security sources said the attack on the camp in the eastern province of Mareb on Saturday killed at least 40 soldiers. But on Sunday, a military official based in Mareb, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the attack had left 75 soldiers dead and 100 others injured." The paper also claimed the attack was by drones.

Fighting had been dying down and peace talks may be on the horizon

The UN envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths is attempting to restart peace talks between the Houthis and the internationally recognized government of Mansur Hadi. Fighting between the Hadi government and Houthis has been down substantially in recent weeks. However, there is no ceasefire agreement and Saudis had lately launched airstrikes against Houthi targets. This may have led the Houthi's to reply with their own attack.

The Houthi civil war with Saudi-backed government of Mansur Hadi started back in late 2014. The war escalated in March of 2015 when the Houthis captured not only much of the north with the capital Sanaa but were advancing in the temporary capital of the Hadi government in the port of Aden. The Saudis and allies began an intensive air campaign against the Houthis. The Houthis have the support of Iran.

There has also been a separate struggle within the anti-Houthi forces between Yemeni separatists backed by the UAE and the Saudi-supported Hadi government but an agreement may have settled that issue at least for the time being although there are still problems.

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