Himar mountain area, placing them about 11 kilometers from the city. Government forces called for an immediate meeting and public mobilization to stop the rebel offensive. On 18 February, media close to Houthis reported that Houthi forces took control of the Marib Dam, al-Balaq, Dahwan, and Athaf mountains, and the Kholan area, among others, as coalition forces staged a general retreat. This marked the first time since 2015 that the Houthis controlled Marib Dam, which now gave the Houthis fire control of the southern road to Marib. The Houthis and Al-Qaeda in Yemen said that al-Qaeda and ISIS militants were fighting alongside the government in the Tala’at al-Hamra area and east of Hilan. The Houthis later retreated from Marib dam and the south after resistance from Hadi Government forces. Fierce clashes were reported on the mountains south of the dam. On 22 February, Houthi forces clashes with Hadi government forces were reported taking place at 20 km from Marib city. Analysis Marib is of particular strategic importance in the conflict because it is a center for oil & gas production in Yemen; the powerplants of Marib supply power to a significant part of the country and a gas pipeline passes south through Marib to the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. The Safer Exploration and Production Operations Company and other foreign companies who work in the energy sector are based in Mar'ib. According to Nadwa Dawsari, an expert of Yemen topics cited by The New Arab, the 2020 Houthi offensive in Yemen was the largest offensive launched by the Houthis since 2015 after the Aden offensive. She also considered that if the Houthis managed to capture Marib they would consolidate their advances on the North and could continue launching attacks towards Shabwah or Hadhramaut. References Yemeni Civil War (2014–present) Conflicts in 2015 Conflicts in 2016 Conflicts in 2017 Conflicts in 2018 Conflicts in 2019 Conflicts in 2020 Conflicts in 2021 Marib Governorate