At least 70 Yemeni soldiers have been killed in missile and drone attacks blamed on Houthi rebels, on a mosque in the central province of Marib.

Medical and military sources said today that yesterday’s strike follows months of relative calm in the war between the Iran-backed Houthis and Yemen’s internationally recognized government which is backed by a Saudi-led military coalition.

The Houthis attacked a mosque in a military camp in Marib — about 170 kilometres east of the capital Sanaa — during evening prayers. A medical source at a Marib city hospital, where the casualties were transported, said that at least 70 soldiers were killed and more than 50 injured in the strike.

The attacks came a day after coalition-backed government forces launched a large-scale operation against the Houthis in the Naham region, north of Sanaa. According to official Saba news agency, fighting in Naham was ongoing today.