Background
According to a news agency, at least 65 fighters have been killed over the past two days as Yemen’s Huthi rebels make gains in the battle for Marib.
Houthis
Marib and its surrounding oil fields make up the last significant pocket of government-held territory in the north, the rest of which is under rebel control, including the capital Sanaa.
The Houthis control almost everything west of Marib including the Yemeni capital of Sanaa.
Yemeni government
According to the report, the loss of Marib would be a disaster for the Yemeni government and for Saudi Arabia which has supported it militarily since March 2015, after the rebels captured Sanaa.
Kassara battlefield
The rebels have already taken full control of the Kassara battlefield to the northwest of Yemen.
