Iran-Backed Houthis Kill 150 Civilians, Injure 200 in Yemen Since Sept. 3: Yemen Government

ADEN, Sept 14: Yemen’s government said Sunday that 150 civilians had been killed and more than 200 injured by Houthi fire in the provinces of Taiz, Al-Hudaydah and Marib since Sept. 3.

In a statement issued by the Human Rights Ministry and published by the official Saba news agency, the ministry accused the Houthis of escalating attacks involving ballistic missiles, drones and various types of artillery and other weapons. It said populated areas, displacement camps and convoys carrying civilians fleeing the fighting had also been targeted.

The ministry said around 85,000 people had been displaced by the latest escalation, with homes, property and livelihoods destroyed. It added that around 2,000 people had crossed into Djibouti, highlighting the widening humanitarian impact of the fighting.

The government accused the Houthis of widespread violations and called on the international community, the United Nations, the Human Rights Council and the UN human rights office to take urgent action to protect civilians. It also called for the protection of displaced people, camps, evacuation convoys and medical facilities, as well as the release of abductees and arbitrarily detained people and information on missing persons.

The latest fighting has also resulted in significant territorial shifts. The Houthis have announced control of several districts along Yemen’s western coast and islands in the Red Sea, including Mayyun, also known as Perim Island, near the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Yemeni government forces, meanwhile, said they had advanced in Al-Jawf province near the Saudi border and were approaching the provincial capital, Al-Hazm. Government forces also said they had repelled a major Houthi attack on Marib and carried out airstrikes against Houthi targets in and around Mokha and parts of Taiz, Lahij and Al-Dhale, destroying military vehicles and weapons.

The confrontations have intensified since early July after years of relative calm. Yemen’s conflict began in 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa and large parts of the country. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government.