Three civilians killed in mine blast in Yemen's Hodeidah

A Sudanese soldier, stationed in Yemen as part of the Arab Coalition, checks for mines near Al Mokha. The National

At least three civilians were killed and a child was seriously injured by a landmine in the Yemeni province of Hodeidah on Friday, the country’s information minister said.

The mine had been planted by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in a village in the Hays district, Information Minister Moammar Al Eryani said on Twitter.

“This heinous crime is an extension to the daily killing by the terrorist Houthi militia against innocent citizens in different governorates,” he said.

Mr Al Eryani called on the international community and the UN “to hold the Houthi leaders and members who are responsible for these killings accountable”.

Yemen is one of the most mined countries in the world, although the exact number of mines — estimated to be in the millions — is unknown.

The Houthi takeover of the capital Sanaa in 2014 brought a form of warfare brutal even to the most well-versed experts in the field of demining.

Two types of mines are generally found in war zones: anti-tank and anti-personnel mines. The latter are banned by an international treaty.