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Yemen: Rights Radar Condemns Killing and Injuring of 25 Civilians by Houthi Militia’s Detonation of Homes in Rada’a, Al-Bayda Governorate

Amsterdam, March 21, 2024

Rights Radar for Human Rights based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, has condemned the actions of Houthi militants committed on Tuesday morning, March 19, 2024. They detonated a number of homes belonging to civilians in the city of Rada’a, north of Al-Bayda Governorate, central Yemen, resulting in the deaths and injuries of about 25 civilians, including women and children.

Rights Radar has called on Houthi militia, led by Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, to take responsibility for the victims, hold the perpetrators accountable and pledge not to repeat such serious violations, especially the repeated operations committed against their adversaries.

Local sources in Rada’a confirmed to Rights Radar that Houthi militants detonated two houses with powerful explosive devices in Al-Hafra neighborhood of Rada’a, causing the collapse of six other houses, two of which collapsed while residents were still inside, resulting in a high number of casualties.

According to the information received by Rights Radar, the destroyed houses belonged to Ibrahim al-Zailai, the main target of this operation, Mohammed al-Yareemi, Alawi al-Mujaher, al-Naqous, Ahmed Khalbi, Saleh Hadi and al-Faqih.

Our sources confirmed the deaths of 12 civilians. Eight members of Mohammed Saad al-Yarimi's family died, including his wife and children, when their house collapsed during the Houthis' detonation of two adjacent houses. Other four people were killed by an RPG shell fired by Houthis towards a group of people trying to rescue the victims.

According to available information, the dead people of al-Yarimi’s family are as follows:

1- Father Mohammed Saad al-Yarimi, aged 65

2- Mother Sayeda al-Yarimi, aged 50

3- Saad Mohammed Saad al-Yarimi, aged 33

4- Ali Mohammed Saad al-Yarimi, aged 22

5- Jabali Mohammed Saad al-Yarimi, aged 18

6- Ramzi Mohamme Saad al-Yarimi, aged 15

7- Mabrouka Mohammed Saad al-Yarimi, aged 19

8- In addition to Karima Ahmed al-Aqari, Ibrahim Mohammed Saad al-Yarimi’s wife, who was injured.

According to our sources, the citizens, who helped with the rescue efforts, managed to save seven victims from under the rubble of the destroyed houses, including Hajj Ahmed al-Khalbi, aged 60, and his wife Aisha al-Khalbi, aged 55, in addition to their son Ali Ahmed al-Khalbi (age unknown) who was abducted by Houthis while being injured in the collapse of the house.

In addition, Khairiya Faraa, aged 30, and her three children were critically injured. They include Ibrahim Saad Mohammed Saad al-Yareemi, aged two, Latifah Saad Mohammed Saad al-Yareemi, aged five and Mohammed Saad Mohammed Saad al-Yareemi, aged nine.

The Houthi authorities in Al-Bayda and Sana'a exerted severe pressure reaching the point of threats of violence against activists and human rights defenders who disseminated images and footage of this incident which sparked widespread outrage among Yemenis.

Rights Radar sources in Rada’a said that Houthi militia deployed military reinforcements from the capital, Sana'a, to participate in the raid campaign that besieged Al-Hafra neighborhood near the historic building of Al-Amiriya Castle in Rada’a and surrounded the houses of al-Zailai and al-Naqous families. Then, they booby-trapped the two houses with explosive devices, ignoring warnings from some residents of the neighborhood about the danger of this operation that could lead to a disaster.

Rights Radar has called on the international community to condemn these violations and exert real pressure on Houthi militia to prevent the recurrence of such actions, especially when human rights reports indicate that the Houthis have committed more than 700 detonation incidents against their political adversaries since the beginning of the armed conflict in Yemen in 2014.

Finally, Rights Radar has called on the United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, to take practical measures to protect civilians in the areas under Houthi control and expedite the release of abductees.