Aden (South24 Center)

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Eight civilians, including children, were killed on Sunday (March 15) in a missile attack targeting a gathering of citizens during Iftar [a Ramadan meal in Muslim traditions at sunset] in the Hayran district of Hajjah governorate, North Yemen, according to the Yemeni army.

A statement issued by the Fifth Military Region of the Yemeni Army said that eight civilians lost their lives and others were injured as a result of a missile attack launched by the Houthi group on a gathering of citizens during Iftar in the district located near the Saudi border.

The statement added that among the victims were children who were around the Iftar table at the moment of the shelling and indicated that the death toll is likely to rise due to the intensity of the explosion and the mixing of the remains of some of the dead.

According to local sources, the shelling resulted in the death of eight civilians, including two children, in addition to the injury of between 20 and 30 people with varying wounds, including critical cases that were transferred to nearby hospitals and medical centers.

The Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, expressed on Monday (March 16) his deep alarm over reports of the attack that resulted in the death of eight civilians and the injury of dozens in the Hayran district.

Grundberg pointed out that among the victims were children who had gathered for Iftar during the month of Ramadan, emphasizing the necessity of holding those responsible for the attack accountable and stressing the importance of protecting civilians.

In a related context, the President of the Leadership Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, directed from his residence in Riyadh the provision of urgent aid to the families of the victims of the attack.

The Yemeni government also condemned the attack and considered it a war crime and a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.

The Yemeni Ministry of Human Rights said in a statement that the attack was not random but was rather carried out following a precise aerial surveillance operation, which indicates – according to the statement – the existence of prior intent to target civilians.

The ministry added that field reports confirm that the victims were civilians gathered to have the Iftar meal, which makes the attack a direct targeting of a civilian gathering.

It emphasized that such attacks may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, calling on the international community to take a clear position to prevent the targeting of civilians in conflict zones.

The Houthi group did not issue an immediate comment on the accusations directed at it regarding the attack.