Yemen Civil War Continues With No End in Sight

Yemeni Houthi Shiite forces launched two separate attacks on Saudi border positions late Wednesday, killing three soldiers amid continuing escalation between both sides of the ongoing conflict in the war-torn country.

Despite 3-months of constant air strikes from Saudi Arabia in support of a Sunni-led Yemen government, the Houthis–who are suspected of having major backing from Iran–continue to show that they can operate in the sectarian environment.

The Saudi Press Agency confirmed Thursday that the three soldiers died in two separate Houthi assaults on Saudi border posts, the AP reported, raising the total number of Saudi troops killed from such attacks to over two dozen during the continuing conflict.

More than 1,000 civilians have been caught in the middle of the sectarian civil strife since March, the AP reports, in addition to the one million people who have been displaced from their homes, according to estimates.

More than 2,600 people overall have been killed since the bombing runs began three months ago. In March, Saudi forces–backed by several Arab allies and the United States–launched an air campaign in hopes to support the reinstallation of the internationally-recognized, Sunni-led government in Yemen.

As for now, there appears to be no end in sight to the ongoing conflict. Both sides have staked out their positions and have shown no interest in negotiating even a short term ceasefire, the New York Times reports. Talks in Geneva between the two sides last week ended with no agreement.

Amidst the fighting between the two sides, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula–regarded by terrorism experts as the most powerful branch of the jihadi outfit– and the Islamic State have continued to obtain influence and exert power across the country. The Islamic State has been particularly successful in bombing campaigns against Shiite mosques in Yemen over the past couple months. Last week alone, ISIS attacked four Houthi-controlled mosques.

Since ISIS officially announced the creation of a Yemen branch in March, the insurgent group has been responsible for the deaths for over 100 people, according to some estimates.