Yemen’s insurgency leaders have held a meeting with a number of elders loyal to former president Ali Abdallah Saleh to discuss the forcible recruitment of children following huge human losses within their ranks on the front lines, sources in Al-Mahwit governorate said.
The sources confirmed that the meeting discussed the recruitment mechanism in areas such as al-Taweelah, Bani Saad, and Shibam. Houthi supervisors were assigned to follow up the enlisting.
Meanwhile, insurgency militias continued to enforce taxes in Hawit and Amran which fall under their control. They have forced stores and merchants to pay sums of money for the alleged funding of the celebrations commemorating the insurgency coup on September 21.
Meanwhile, the popular resistance in Tuhama district continued to target Houthi and Saleh military bases, amid intensified clashes in several battlefronts in Taiz, Marib, Nahim, and al-Baydaa.
Coalition warplanes carried out raids on Houthi and Saleh militias, destroying three vehicles, five motorcycles and killing and injuring several of them, according to military sources.
The coalition also staged raids on Houthi targets in al-Jawf district, leading to deaths among the insurgents.
Army troops advanced in Marib and regained control over new mountainous areas following severe clashes in Heilan and al-Mashjah.
National army troops also succeeded in thwarting an insurgency attack in al-Tebbah al-Sawdaa of al-Qabitah district in Lahij governorate, a military source informed Asharq Al-Awsat.
In addition, militias continued to attack residential areas in Taiz, killing and injuring several civilians including women and children.
A military source in Taiz reiterated to Asharq al-Awsat that several residents were killed and a child was injured. He added that the western front of Taiz witnessed severe clashes, forcing the insurgents to flee.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) condemned the shelling on residential areas in Shab al-Doubba and Souk al-Samil in Taiz on Friday September 15, which left three children dead and nine others severely injuring.
ICRC's Regional Director for the Near and Middle East Robert Mardini urged all warring sides to take every precaution to spare civilians.
“We cannot turn a blind eye on the rising number of civilians injured or killed as a result of indiscriminate attacks in Yemen's conflict. Too often in recent months, civilians, women, men and children, have been in harm's way, becoming victims of shells and bombs," said Mardini.
The Regional Director added that what happened on Friday is yet another stark reminder of the immense suffering that civilians across Yemen are enduring in their daily lives.
