By Ali Oweida

MARIB, Yemen

A military police commander escaped an assassination attempt in eastern Yemen on Tuesday, according to a local official.

A device exploded under the car of Lieutenant Colonel Yahya al-Harbi in the Marib province Tuesday, the official said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to media.

The commander was unhurt in the blast, which injured two children, he said.

Government forces take Marib as a base for their military operations against Houthi rebels.

Yemen fell into civil war in 2014, when Houthi rebels and allied forces of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh overran capital Sanaa and other provinces.

In 2015, Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a massive air campaign in Yemen aimed at reversing Houthi gains and restoring the government of President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi.