Taiz: The Ain Human Rights Center for Rights and Development strongly condemned the crime committed by armed elements affiliated with the Islah Party among the 'coalition mercenaries' in Taiz governorate, which involved targeting civilians' houses in the Wadi Salah residential neighborhood with artillery shelling on Thursday evening.
According to Yemen News Agency, the center said that the coalition-backed forces fired a 120mm mortar shell at around 6:30 p.m., which landed on the main asphalt road linking Qasr roundabout and Salah area, in a densely populated neighborhood.
The statement noted that the shelling injured four children who were present at the scene at the time of impact, including two in moderate condition. All of them were taken to Ibn Sina Hospital for medical treatment.
It emphasized that this attack constitutes a fully-fledged war crime under international humanitarian law, as it deliberately targeted a civilian area with no military justification, in blatant violation of the principles of distinction and proportionality.
The center held the coalition-backed forces and those supporting them fully responsible for this crime and all other violations committed against civilians in Yemen, stressing that impunity has encouraged the continuation of such abuses against innocent people.
It called on the international community, particularly the United Nations and human rights and humanitarian organizations, to assume their legal and moral responsibilities, take serious action to stop these crimes, and launch an independent and transparent international investigation to hold those responsible accountable and ensure they do not escape punishment.
The center reaffirmed that targeting children and civilians does not expire with time, and that justice will remain a legitimate demand for all victims until they are fully compensated and perpetrators are held accountable.