5 children killed by Houthi shelling in Yemen

By Murad Arifi

TAIZ, Yemen (AA) - Five children were killed and three others injured Thursday evening due to Houthi rebels' shelling in Yemen’s southwestern city of Taiz, according to local sources.

Ali Hamoud, an eyewitness, told Anadolu Agency that Houthis located on "50th street" hit a home in the neighborhood of Damina with a mortar strike.

Five children were killed and another three were seriously injured, he said.

"What happened was a total massacre, some of the children's bodies were completely shredded," Hamoud said.

A doctor from the Al-Brahei private hospital said the wounded children were in critical condition, fearing death toll may rise.

"We received the news that the Houthis bombed the Damina neighborhood and minutes later the bodies of the children and the wounded arrived at the hospital," the doctor told Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity due to security concerns.

The Houthi group was not immediately available for comment.

Yemen has remained in chaos since 2014, when the Houthis and their allies overran capital Sanaa, forcing the country’s internationally-recognized government to temporarily relocate to Riyadh.

In 2015, Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a massive military campaign aimed at reversing the Houthis’ territorial gains and restoring Yemen’s pro-Saudi government.