Houthi Artillery Strike Targets Residential Neighborhood in Taiz, Injuring Child

A young girl sustained injuries on Monday following an artillery strike launched by Houthi militia forces on a residential neighborhood in the center of Taiz, Yemen, marking the latest in a series of attacks on densely populated areas in the besieged governorate.

Human rights sources reported that mortar shells fired by the Houthi militia struck civilian homes in the Al-Dahi neighborhood. One projectile reportedly breached the wall of a residence, causing significant damage to the property’s water infrastructure before detonating. The incident is part of a broader military escalation in Taiz that has persisted since August, resulting in numerous civilian casualties, including women and children.

This attack follows a violent incident on October 9 in the Al-Shaqab area of Sabr Al-Mawadim district, southeast of Taiz. A mortar shell strike claimed the lives of 12-year-old Mohammed Abdullah Abdo Muqbil and a woman identified as Dhikrayat Abdulwahid Ahmed Yahya. Six other civilians sustained injuries ranging from moderate to severe and were transported to local hospitals for emergency medical care.

The humanitarian toll in the region continues to climb, with recent fatalities including nine-year-old Elias Nabil Naji Al-Barakani, who succumbed to injuries on September 27 following a mortar attack on his home in the village of Al-Zariba. These documented cases represent only a portion of the ongoing violence, as rights organizations report frequent incidents of home demolitions and extrajudicial executions targeting individuals perceived as opposing the militia.

The persistent shelling by the Houthi militia continues to pose a grave threat to the safety of non-combatants in Taiz. The city, which has endured a protracted Houthi-imposed blockade for several years, remains a focal point for military aggression that disproportionately affects the most vulnerable segments of the population.