Houthi-Saleh militias have killed over 300 children and injured more than 1804 others in Taiz governorate, due to shelling during the period from April 2017 till September 2017, according to a recent report.
In its recent report, Taiz-based Yemeni Coalition for Monitoring Human Rights Violations indicated that militias also targeted residential areas in Taiz by mortar and howitzer shelling, latest of which was the attack on Onswa village, northwestern Taiz city, where 5 children were killed and 2 others injured.
Military expert staff Colonel Waleed al-Sharaabi, confirmed that Houthi-Saleh militias targeted Onswa village with mortars. The village is occupied by civilians only and there are no military locations, warehouses, or barricades in it with the nearest military facility 8 kilometers away to the north.
"The shelling is a deliberate targeting of civilian objects and unarmed civilians. The incident in Onswa is a blatant murder," asserted Sharaabi.
Militants have been besieging Onswa for more than two years from three sides: al-Qarae and Azzeba mountains, and other military sites the village overlooks including: in al-Khamseen street, Waesh mountain and al-Shaibani yard, according to the report.
The report warned that the villagers were under constant shelling and snipers were targeting anyone trying to leave or enter the village through safe corridors.
The coalition called upon Houthi-Saleh militias to immediately cease all hostilities against civilians, particularly children in Taiz and other zones.
It also requested that Houthi-Saleh militias apply article three mentioned in the four Geneve conventions, and 1977 protocol of non-international armed conflicts.
In addition, the coalition requested the National Commission to investigate alleged human rights violations, asking for an immediate investigation into the Onswa attack.
It finally called upon local and international organizations to pressure Houthi-Saleh militias to immediately cease all atrocities against children in Yemen.
Recently, insurgents' militias committed another crime when one of its snipers killed a handicapped child in Taiz without any apparent reason.
Locals told Asharq Al-Awsat that the sniper killed Zakaria Abdul Hamid Hamad, 16 years, in al-Morabaa area, northeast Han mountain in west Taiz.
Sources indicated that the child instantly died after he was shot in his back, describing it as an "unprecedented crime".
