Houthis escalate military operations in Yemen ignoring appeals for peace‏‏

A government official told Xinhua that the Houthi group in Yemen increased its military operations on Sunday against several areas governed by the government of the country، aggravating the conflict that has been going on for years.

Under the condition of anonymity، the local government official said that "the Houthis attacked the government's Shabwa Defense Forces stationed in a mountainous area that links the Merkhah Al Ulya district with the adjacent Bayda province، sparking bloody armed confrontations."

The crisis hasn't shown any signs of ending despite recent international efforts to mediate a settlement، as the Houthis have continued to strike critical locations، particularly in the oil-rich districts of Shabwa and Marib over the previous 48 hours.

According to the Yemeni official، the Houthis' ongoing military activities in these oil-rich districts demonstrate their desire to increase their hold on Yemen and its resources.

"Following hours of fighting، the government forces were able to stop the Houthi assault on Shabwa، resulting in many deaths and injuries on both sides،" the official said.

The Houthis started preparing elsewhere in Yemen for a massive military attack on Marib، which is strategically significant since it is home to gas deposits and an oil refinery.

According to the official، the Houthi rebels have been attempting to seize control of the Harib region of Marib while the government forces have been fighting valiantly to keep their own.

On Saturday، Yemen's defense minister and other government officials narrowly escaped a drone attack carried out by the Houthis against their convoy in the country's southwestern province of Taiz.

The recent Houthi attacks on the Yemeni government-controlled areas and military officials dealt a serious blow to the international diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing violence and promoting peace in Yemen، jeopardizing the progress that has been made thus far.

It also comes at a particularly critical time، as the two warring sides had agreed in Switzerland to exchange hundreds of war prisoners under the auspices of the United Nations.

The UN-sponsored agreement was seen as a significant step towards building trust between the Yemeni warring parties and moving towards more negotiations to achieve a lasting peace agreement.

On Friday، Yemen's government warned of a possible return to all-out military conflict in the war-ravaged Arab country following an uptick in Houthi attacks in Marib.

Various regions in Yemen have witnessed sporadic armed confrontations between the local warring factions، after a cease-fire brokered by the United Nations in April expired in October last year.

Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating war since 2014، with the Houthis fighting against the internationally-recognized government and its allies، which include a Saudi Arabia-led coalition.

The years-long war brought the Arab world's poorest country to the brink of collapse causing famine and widespread suffering as well as disrupting the country's food supply chain، leaving millions of people without access to adequate nutrition.