ADEN, Yemen, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Four Yemeni government soldiers were killed and five others wounded on Monday in a Houthi drone strike on Yemen's northeastern oil-rich province of Marib, a military official told Xinhua.
The local pro-government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the drone struck a military site belonging to government forces in Harib district, east of Marib.
All the casualties were members of the government's 26th Brigade, he said, adding that the wounded were evacuated to nearby hospitals for treatment.
There was no immediate comment from the Houthi group on the attack.
The strike came amid renewed tensions between Yemen's internationally recognized government, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, and the Houthi group following reciprocal attacks involving Houthi-held Sanaa International Airport and Saudi Arabia's Abha International Airport.
Earlier in the day, Yemen's Houthi group announced a maritime ban on Saudi shipping, saying the move was to respond to Riyadh's "siege for nearly 12 years" through a "blockade on ports and airports," according to a statement aired by the group's Al-Masirah TV. The statement did not specify how and where the ban would be enforced.
Military sources and local officials said both sides have also stepped up troop deployments in several front-line positions in recent days, raising concerns that the conflict could escalate, though no major ground assault has been launched.
Yemen has been mired in conflict since late 2014, when the Houthis seized control of the capital, Sanaa, and much of northern Yemen, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene the following year in support of the internationally recognized Yemeni government. ■
