Three Children Killed and a Fourth Injured by Landmine Explosion in Abs District, Hajjah

Three children were killed and a fourth seriously injured on Thursday afternoon, the 23rd of Ramadan, after a landmine planted by the Houthi group exploded in the village of Makhshoush in Bani Hassan area, Abs District, Hajjah Governorate.

Local sources reported that the mine exploded while the children were herding sheep in the area. The explosion killed three of them instantly, while the fourth child sustained severe injuries and was transferred to the intensive care unit at a hospital in Abs District to receive treatment.

Sources identified the children who were killed in the incident as: Abdullah Ali Ja’ar Rahal, Ali Yahya Ja’ar Rahal, and Hussein Musa Ahmed Majdoub. The fourth child, Mohammed Musa Yahya Ahmed Majdoub, was seriously injured and is currently in intensive care at one of the hospitals in Abs.

According to one local resident, two consecutive explosions were heard at the time of the incident, suggesting that the mine may have been a double device. He added that the sound of the explosions was heard from long distances across the area.

Houthi militias are known to use double or multiple landmines, planting more than one explosive device together or stacking them on top of each other as a trap, often targeting engineering teams and demining workers.

The Tihama districts in Hajjah Governorate continue to witness a widespread presence of landmines planted randomly by the Houthis during the years of war, which continues to claim the lives of civilians, particularly children.