OREANDA-NEWS. A Houthis ballistic missile hit a mosque and a religious school in the Yemeni city of Marib, killing 29 civilians, including women and children. This was reported by Reuters, citing a statement by the authorities.

A total of two rockets were fired at Marib by the Husibs, the KUNA news agency said, citing the military.

The conflict in Yemen has been ongoing since August 2014. The military confrontation intensified after the invasion of the country in March 2015 by the Saudi-led coalition forces, which sided with the troops of the republic's president Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi (Hadists). They are opposed by the Houthi rebels (called Houthis after their founder Hussein al-Houthi) of the Shiite Ansar Allah movement, who are backed by Iran.

Late last July, Yemen's central government and separatists from the Southern Transitional Council agreed to form a new government. Yemen thus supported Saudi Arabia's initiative to resolve the conflict and move towards a ceasefire. It was formed in mid-December under the leadership of Prime Minister Main Abdel Malik. On 26 December, the new government swore in President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi.

The separatist Southern Transitional Council was established in 2017. For a time, the SSC and the recognised Yemeni government acted as allies in the fight against the Houthis, but there was later a conflict between them. In 2019, the separatists seized Aden and in April 2020 announced the introduction of self-rule in all southern Yemeni provinces.