Yemen army says 2 civilians killed by Houthi rebels

SANAA, Yemen (AA) – Two Yemeni civilians were killed by Houthi rebels in southwestern Yemen despite a UN-brokered truce, according to the military on Wednesday.

A military statement said two brothers were shot dead by rebel snipers on Tuesday while grazing their sheep in Habeel Al-Abdi area in Dhalea province.

"This crime is the latest violation of the declared truce by the Houthi militia,” the statement said.

There was no comment from the Houthi group on the accusation.

On April 1, the UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, announced a "long overdue" two-month truce between Yemen’s warring rivals under which all offensive air, ground and maritime operations were halted.

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

According to the UN, the conflict has created one of the world's worst man-made humanitarian crises.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat