Saudi-led coalition deploys more troops to Yemen

Arab troops from Qatar, Sudan and Egypt are set to deploy in the central Yemeni province of Marib. Qatar will deploy 1,000 troops along with armored vehicles, rocket launchers and 30 helicopters to Yemen for the first time. About 6,000 Sudanese troops are ready to be deployed as well. According to Doha-based Al-Jazeera, the number of coalition soldiers who have already entered Yemen has risen to 10,000. Furthermore, Egypt will send its troops to Yemen, but officials have not yet announced the number of troops.

Clashes between Iran-backed, Shiite Houthi militants and pro-government forces in addition to airstrikes from the Saudi-led coalition intensified last week in Marib. Marib is located between the Houthi hometown of Saada and the capital Sanaa, which the militias seized last year. Oil and gas extraction as well as energy production for many parts of the country makes Marib a key province for both sides. On Sept. 8, at least 12 Shiite rebels were killed by air strikes. On Sept. 4, 45 Emirati soldiers 10 Saudi Arabian soldiers and five Bahraini soldiers were killed in the deadliest day for Gulf forces since the conflict began. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain are part of the coalition that formed in March that aims at stopping the Iran-backed Houthis from taking full control of Yemen.

The U.S.-backed alliance continues to pound Houthi targets as part of Operation Decisive Storm, which was launched on March 26 to halt the Houthis' advance. The coalition includes Bahrain, Qatar, Sudan, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Senegal and the UAE, which have conducted numerous airstrikes throughout Yemen against Houthi forces. Operation Decisive Storm ended on April 21, but immediately afterward, Operation Restore Hope was launched by the Saudi-coalition. Sanaa has been under Houthi rebel control since September last year. Since then, the Houthis have made significant gains while taking northern Yemen. They have been expanding their territory, clashing with exiled President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi's loyalists, local tribes and radical groups including al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which also pose a significant threat to the country's political stability and security.

The country has long suffered from political instability and insecurity due to threats posed by various militant groups. Since former President Ali Abdullah Saleh stepped down in 2012, ending his 33-year rule, the country has been in a state of constant turmoil. In addition to clashes between government forces, Houthi militants, rival militant groups and al-Qaida, the Houthis have fought a bloody battle to gain control over several places.

The intense fighting has exerted a heavy toll on the civilian population in an already fragile humanitarian situation. According to the U.N., more than 1,000 civilians have died as a result of the conflict, and more than 300,000 have been displaced. More than 250,000 refugees in Yemen were caught up in the ongoing conflict, becoming victims of war.