2 Children Among 5 Civilians Killed In Drone Attack In Yemen

A drone attack in Yemen killed five civilians on Saturday, according to both the Houthi rebels and government sources who accused each other of being behind the strike.

“Three women and two children were killed when they went to fetch water from a well,” said the rebel-controlled health ministry, pointing the finger of blame at forces loyal to the government.

The attack was in Taez province, in a government-held area near the front lines.

A local security source who requested anonymity, not being allowed to speak to the media, confirmed the deaths of five civilians and said they were killed by the rebels.

“Government forces don’t have drones, and have never undertaken such operations,” a military official on the government side said.

The Iran-backed Houthis seized control of Yemen’s capital Sanaa in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention the following year.

Nine years of war have left hundreds of thousands dead through direct and indirect causes, and also triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

While hostilities in Yemen have remained low since the expiry of a six-month truce brokered in April 2022, sporadic fighting flares in the Arabian Peninsula country.

The Houthis are also waging a campaign of drone and missile attacks against ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden they say are linked to Israel.

They say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, whose Hamas rulers have been at war with Israel since October 7.