Hi miningnut, this has been on for over 12 months (?? most of the war ??). The Houthi have come in numerous times and have not been able to stay. No. 1 reason for them coming in was: the Muslem Brotherhood led LEGITIMATE coalition armies have too often left their defensive position leaving all weapons for the Houthi to warehouse. No fight at all. Go Figure? Well enough documented!
source
https://english.iswnews.com/17535/latest-updates-on-marib-front-20-february-2021-map-update/In the above image the yellow covered area covers the Marib Lake. The fighting force IS ESSENTIALLY Saudi controlled forces (see flag labels) that do have commanders aligned with Muslem Brotherhood though. The Lake's water is important. Marib can easily be seen as a valley of blocks to its right.This same set of Muslem Brotherhood led LEGITIMATE coalition armies has moved south into Shabwah (PSA's location for Block S1) down to its coast at Shakra (East of Aden), and do no Houthi fighting there and have refused direction to take up the fight for Marib.
Also they have put an army on the coast, west of Aden, (again not fighting any Houthi, since the STC and other southern forces with UAE help, cleaned up very early in the war). The Muslem Brotherhood led Hadi Legitimacy government simply want to eliminate the idea of a South Yemen country by setting up an attack from Shabwah and Ladj (west and east of Aden respectively) and are after the STC. Aden is well controlled by STC forces within and well upto its north.
Nothing to see here ... best move on.
As the article says if Marib goes it puts jeopardy on the Stockholm agreement which saved the Houthi in 2018 big time. When one thinks that the Hadi Legitimacy government agreed to the Stockholm agreement, it makes one think why would they take the pressure of the Houthi at that time. The answer seems to be so that the Houthi could take Marib. The theory going around is that there are documents showing the collusion of Houthi with the Muslem Brotherhood dating back to 2011. And of course Hadi wants to obtain a Yemen made of only 6 governorates (his plan since before the war which started the war!) and uses the Muslem Brotherhood to eliminate the STC.
In all the fighting by the Hadi Legitimacy government there have only ever been 3 fronts, Hodeidah, Marib and from the South (where huge success for the south has been obtained). All other fronts stay idle, WHY?
Beat the Muslem Brotherhood (they fulfil all positions in Hadi's Presidential office) and the Houthi's are beaten - that simple. So far the Hadi Legitimacy government under the Riyadh Agreement has moved way over towards the STC (5 minsters whilst other parties fulfil all but one (Muslem Brotherhood have that)). So without fighting against the Muslem Brotherhood, the STC are making strong gains. But they are been careful watching and preparing. Not long for Hadi to be replaced as President by the Parliament then goodbye Muslem Brotherhood and goodbye war.
This is seriously hard work though - do not mistake what I am saying. The fighting is important only for the corrupt profiteering warlords which happens to be the Muslem Brotherhood since it is all about the oil. That is why the STC take each battle very wisely and why the most gains are northwards towards Sanaa from Aden. But I do not see them rushing this and instead they manoeuvre Parliamentarians to gain footholes as with the latest Riyadh Agreement offerings. They also invite eastern governorates (Hadramaut, etc) to join them. This is seriously hard work.
