SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties, based in Genève, said in statement that it has documented killing of 5 children, and injuring of 3 others on Thursday 2 November, in Taiz city, southern Yemen due to Katyusha and mortar shelling by Houthis-Saleh militia.

SAM confirmed that the shelling was launched from Qari’ mountain, Adumina, Taiz which is under militia’s control according to witnesses interviewed by SAM. The rockets hit children playground in highly populated Alonsua neighborhood.

Witnesses confirmed that the city is exposed to daily shelling and the rockets hit markets and residential areas indiscriminately, and the targeted areas “Bir Basha” and “30 street” are far from military operations.

Medical reports from the hospitals that received victims from “Arroudha”, and “Al-Buraihi” neighborhood, indicated that all victims are children between 7-16 years old, who were in the playground when hit by the shells.

SAM strongly condemn this massacre on Taiz children and confirm that using of inaccurate mortar and Katyusha shells against civilians is violation to the international law, and to the principle of distinction between civilians and combatants.

Also, such violations are war crime according to Rome statute of the ICC, noting that Houthis-Saleh militia has repeatedly attacked civilians, where SAM has documented 40 massacres in Taiz during last year, implying that it is a celebrate systematic attacks against civilians, according to article 8 clause 2, item 2, I “Intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population as such or against individual civilians not taking direct part in hostilities” is considered a war crime.

SAM Organization called upon the international community to interfere immediately and safe Taiz children who lack safe environment to practice their normal daily life activities.

SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties, Genève

2 November 2017