Nearly 80 Yemen rebels and pro-government troops have been killed as fighting intensifies for the northern city of Marib, officials said yesterday, nearly seven years into a war that has triggered a major humanitarian crisis. Scores of rebels were killed in airstrikes after they renewed their attempt to capture the strategic city, the internationally recognised government’s last outpost in the north, according to loyalists. “Sixty Huthi rebels were killed in the last 24 hours while 18 pro-government troops were killed and dozens injured in clashes over the past 48 hours,” a government military official said.