Marib Governor Lays Foundation Stone for Completing Marib Airport Project
Major General Sultan bin Ali Al-Aradah, a member of the Presidential Council and the Governor of Marib, along with Captain Pilot Saleh Salim bin Nahid, the head of the General Authority for Civil Aviation and Meteorology, laid the foundation stone on Thursday for the completion of the Ma'rib International Airport project. The state-run Saba News Agency reported that the project includes airport buildings consisting of 14 facilities, parking lots, roads, and runway pavement. Since the breakout of the war in 2015, the population of Marib City has rapidly increased and is estimated at two million people today. The airport will serve the city's population and millions of people in other Yemen provinces.
The National Army in Taiz said Thursday that a Houthi attempted advance was repelled in the south of the city of Taiz. The military media center in Taiz reported that the Houthi fighters tried to gain ground in the Al-Misarakh district south of Taiz. Recently, the Houthi forces have intensified their attacks against pro-government forces and residential areas in Taiz city, posing a challenge to the peace efforts led by the United Nations and international and regional parties to reach a permanent ceasefire agreement.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Pakistan have signed a free trade agreement, the GCC said on Thursday. GCC Secretary General Jasem Al Budaiwi and Pakistani Trade Minister Gohar Ejaz signed the agreement. Al Budaiwi said the preliminary agreement recognizes the importance of strengthening trade relations and economic cooperation with countries and international blocs. He called called the deal a "historic economic agreement" and said it represented a "turning point in cooperation".
The Mayyun Organization for Human Rights has affirmed that the Iran-backed Houthi militia is responsible for 99% of cases of child recruitment. The organization stated in its report released today during a press conference titled "Child Warriors" that it "verified 2,233 recruited children who were directly used in armed conflicts by all parties in 18 Yemeni provinces from July 1, 2021, to December 31, 2022." According to the report, the Houthi group is responsible for recruiting 2,209 children, which represents 98.9% of the total cases covered in the report. Meanwhile, the legitimate government and its allied forces are responsible for recruiting 24 children, accounting for 1.1%. The organization confirmed the deaths of 1,309 children, and 351 others were injured.
A former local official died today, Friday, from his wounds after sustaining an ambush on Thursday in Lahj Governorate, south of the country. Local sources reported that the former director of the Mudaraba district, Colonel Muhammad Al-Subaihi, died at dawn today, Friday, from severe injuries he suffered in an ambush. According to the sources, Al-Subiahi was on his way to Aden with his son, where they encountered his car was hit with a barrage of live bullets on the road between Tur Al-Baha and Al-Waht in Lahj Governorate. The perpetrators remain unknown.
