Sanaa, Yemen:
A drone strike in Yemen killed five civilians on Saturday, according to both Houthi rebels and government sources who accused each other of being behind the attack.
“Three women and two children were killed when they went to fetch water from a well,” the rebel-controlled Health Ministry said, pointing the finger at forces loyal to the government.
The attack took place in Taez province, in a government-controlled area near the front lines.
A local security source who requested anonymity and was not authorized to speak to the media confirmed the deaths of five civilians and said they had been killed by the rebels.
“Government forces do not have drones and have never undertaken such operations,” a government military official said.
The Iran-backed Houthis took control of the Yemeni capital Sanaa in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention the following year.
Nine years of war have left hundreds of thousands dead from direct and indirect causes, as well as one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
While hostilities in Yemen have remained low since the expiration of a six-month ceasefire in April 2022, fighting has flared up sporadically in the Arabian Peninsula.
The Houthis are also waging a campaign of drone and missile attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden that they say are linked to Israel.
They say they stand in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Hamas rulers have been at war with Israel since October 7.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Our staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)