Yemen landmine planted by Houthi rebels kills family of five in their car Parents and three young children add to toll of thousands of civilians killed by Iran-made explosives
A landmine planted by Houthi rebels killed a couple and their three young children on a road near their village in Jawf province on Friday.
Yehya Al Salahi, his wife Saleha, sons Humam, 12, and Saleh, 6, and daughter Saada, 10, were killed when their car drove over the mine in Barat Al Enan district, said Ramzi Mokhtar, who is covering the fighting in Jawf for the military’s 26September website and Yemen TV.
“It is not the first landmine explosion in the area, there have been many reports of similar tragedies,” Mokhtar told The National.
“The Houthi militia planted more than 2,000 landmines in Barat Al Enan, especially in the rural areas around the Taybat Al Esem military camp, which was liberated recently.”
The Iran-backed rebels are known to mine areas before retreating and thousands of civilians have been killed or maimed by the explosives in three years of civil war.
The UAE Armed Forces, part of the Saudi-led military coalition supporting Yemen’s government, say they have cleared more than 20,000 mines across Yemen.
Most of the explosives are Iranian-made versions of the Russian TM-57 mine, which can destroy armoured vehicles, an Emirati de-mining expert told the state news agency Wam this month.
Meanwhile, Yemeni government forces made a crucial gain in the campaign to fully control the south-western province of Taez.
Advancing from Lahj province to the south, troops entered Al Rahyda district of Taez on Friday after fighting in which 40 Houthi militants were killed, said Lt Mohammed Al Naqeeb, spokesman for the 4th military zone.
Thirteen rebel fighters were injured and three captured.
“The army liberated the five hills of Al Karduf mountain to the west of Al Shouraiga, in addition to Al Merkham and Shaifan mountains, and advanced to Al Laseb village – the first area of Al Rahyda district,” Lt Al Nakeeb told The National.
“This is a strategic advance because the army is now able to cut the Houthi supply route from Sanaa to Taez.”
Directly south of the rebel-held capital, coalition jets struck a Houthi training camp in Dawran Anis district of Dhamar province on Friday, killing 17 rebels including a high-ranking officer named Ismail Al Washaly.
Also on Friday, Yemeni troops repelled an attack by ISIL-affiliated fighters in Bayda province.
The militants launched the attack on army posts in Yakla village of Kaifa district from areas controlled by Houthis, the state-owned Saba news agency said.
It said most of the attackers and three soldiers were killed in the fighting.