At least eight people were killed in explosions that shook the Yemeni city of Marib.<br />'' <br />''Minister Muammar al-Iryani wrote in a Twitter post that the Houthis fired two ballistic missiles and two armed drones and had hit a mosque, a commercial centre and a women's correctional facility as well as ambulances rushing to the scene.<br />'' <br />''He put the initial death toll at eight, including women, and said 27 people had been wounded.<br />'' <br />''An army spokesperson told local television channel that the missiles hit a residential area and a commercial market.<br />'' <br />''He said the Houthis launched two drones but one was downed and the other exploded in mid-air.<br />'' <br />''Earlier this month at least 17 people were killed in an explosion near a petrol station in Marib.<br />'' <br />''Yemen has been mired in violence since the Houthis ousted the Saudi-backed government from the capital, Sanaa, in late 2014, prompting a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia to intervene months later.<br />'' <br />''The United Nations, backed by the United States, is pressing for a ceasefire and for the Houthis to end their offensive in Marib, which hosts around 1 million internally displaced people.<br />'' <br />''It has also urged the coalition to lift sea and air restrictions on areas held by the Houthis, who say they are fighting a corrupt system and foreign aggression.<br />'' <br />''<span style="color: #222222;">The conflict, seen in the region as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, has caused what the United Nations says is the world's largest humanitarian crisis</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">. </span><br />