An official from the Yemeni government stated that fighting between tribal gunmen in the oil-rich province of Marib in the country’s northeastern region resulted in the deaths of eight persons and injuries to at least 15 more.
Gunmen from the Al Munif and Al Fahih tribes engaged in violent confrontations in the Al Wadi area of Marib on Thursday night and into Friday morning, according to a local government official who spoke on the condition of anonymity on Friday. The fighting began on Thursday night and continued into Friday morning.
Yemeni soldiers and tribesmen battle, killing eight.
According to the source, the fights were sparked by a disagreement between the two tribes about land ownership. The source also stated that a truce began to go into force on Friday night, which was reported by the Xinhua news agency.
According to the official, even though there has been a truce, emotions continue to run high since both sides have stationed highly armed troops in various parts of Marib.
The internationally recognized government of Yemen maintains authority of the province of Marib, which is home to some of the country’s most important oil and gas reserves. In recent years, the region has been mired in fierce clashes between government forces and Houthi rebels. These hostilities have been going on for quite some time.
The Houthi movement was responsible for the escalation of Yemen’s civil conflict in late 2014, when it took control of a large portion of the country’s north and expelled the internationally recognized government from the capital city of Sanaa.
