New price of oil derivatives sparks clashes between tribesmen, coalition forces in Marib

MARIB, Dec. 20 (YPA) – Armed clashes erupted late on Tuesday night between tribes and forces loyal to Saudi-led coalition forces in Wadi Obeida, southeast of Marib city.

Tribal sources told the Yemeni Press Agency that tribesmen in Marib governorate, northeast of Yemen, stopped the traffic of locomotives transporting oil derivatives and trucks transporting commercial goods in Wadi Obeida.

This comes in protest against the pro-coalition government raising fuel prices in the oil- and gas-rich Marib province for the second time in less than three months.

Marib’s tribesmen set up a checkpoint in Wadi Obeida. They prevented the passage of trucks belonging to the coalition-formed government oil and gas company, which led to armed fighting between the tribesmen and coalition-backed forces.

The coalition-backed forces attacked the tribesmen’s checkpoint with a drone strike.

According to the sources, a tribesman and a conscript in the ranks of the coalition forces have been killed in the clashes so far.

It is worth noting that the pro-coalition government raised the prices of oil derivatives on August 2, which led to an increase in the price of a 20-liter diesel tank on the black market supervised by the leaders of armed elements loyal to Islah to 24,000 riyals.

E.M