Aden (South24 Center)

A military source in the Southern Armed Forces stated that four of its members were killed and five others were wounded in an attack launched by the Houthi militia on military sites in the Karsh front, north of Lahj Governorate, at dawn on Wednesday (March 18).

The source added that the attack began with artillery shelling targeting Southern Forces positions, followed by an attempted ground advance toward the frontline, which led to the outbreak of violent clashes.

The source explained that the Southern Forces repelled the attack and forced the assailants to retreat, noting that the clashes resulted in casualties among the stationed forces before a cautious calm returned to the area.

The Karsh front is considered one of the most prominent flashpoints between the Southern Forces and the Houthis, witnessing intermittent confrontations for years due to its strategic location connecting the governorates of Lahj and Taiz.

In a separate incident, a South24 correspondent reported that a Houthi drone targeted a position of the 8th Brigade of the Shabwa Defense Forces on Tuesday in the Harib front, which is administratively part of Marib Governorate, resulting in the injury of at least two soldiers.

The Harib district is located south of Marib on the border with Shabwa Governorate. It hosts Southern military formations, including the Southern Giants Forces and the Shabwa Defense Forces, following the expulsion of the Houthis in early 2022.

The Houthi airstrike comes amid local reports of troop redeployment in the region, including the withdrawal of units from the Giants Forces and the handing over of their positions to the Shabwa Defense Forces, though these reports have not been officially confirmed.

No immediate comment has been issued by the Houthi group regarding the two attacks.

Several fronts in South Yemen have been experiencing intermittent escalation despite the decline in large-scale military operations since April 2022.