Qassem Bahaibah, Yemen’s health minister, accused the Iran-aligned Houthi group of targeting residential areas and displacement camps in a Friday strike on the city of Marib. Two civilians were killed and 14 injured, according to the internationally recognized Yemeni government.
Bahaibah called the Houthi group a 'terrorist militia' and said the casualty figures were preliminary. He added that health facilities in the area had been put on high alert and were increasing their preparedness.
Attack follows government soldier deaths
The Yemeni government condemned the incident 'in the strongest terms' and said it was a violation of humanitarian law.
The government statement from the Ministry of Public Health and Population accused the Houthis of targeting 'safe residential neighbourhoods and camps of displaced people', causing casualties among unarmed civilians.
Marib, a city in central Yemen, is now home to the largest number of displaced families in Yemen, according to the United Nations refugee agency.
Regional tensions rise after Saudi attacks
The Saudi-led coalition supporting the Yemeni government said 11 people, including a four-year-old, were injured in a Houthi attack in the city of Najran, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday. Tensions between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition have risen in recent weeks. On the same day, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed a joint defense agreement.
The pact states that an attack on any of the three countries would be treated as an attack on all.
No immediate Houthi response to government accusations
The Houthi group has not yet responded to the Yemeni government’s accusations. The fighting between the groups has been ongoing since early July and has led to dozens of casualties on both sides.
The Houthis took control of Yemen’s capital Sanaa in 2014 and have been in conflict with the Saudi-backed government based in the port city of Aden. The Yemen conflict remains one of the most complex and deadly in the region, with civilians bearing the brunt of the violence.
The government statement called on the international community and humanitarian organizations to step up their efforts to protect civilians and stop the ongoing targeting of non-combatants. It also emphasized the need for urgent action to address the humanitarian crisis in the region.