Dhale: Four children died and nine more were injured when a landmine detonated in southern Yemen, local authorities reported on Monday.
According to Ghana News Agency, the landmine is believed to have been placed by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The explosion, which occurred in a village in the Dhale district, was described as the 'worst humanitarian catastrophe in the governorate's history.'
The Dhale governor has called on international and humanitarian organizations, along with mine clearance services, to increase efforts to remove unexploded ordnance, highlighting the major threat it poses to the civilian population.
The Yemeni government estimates that the Houthi rebels have laid about 2 million landmines since the conflict began in 2014. During that time, the rebels seized large parts of the north of the country, including the capital Sanaa, while the internationally recognized government was pushed into the south.