Geneva – SAM for Rights and Liberties stated that it has documented, with great concern and condemnation, an armed attack targeting a civilian gathering for the Ramadan Iftar meal in the village of Bani Al-Mash, Hayran District, north of Hajjah Governorate, on the evening of Sunday, March 15, 2026 (26 Ramadan). According to consistent preliminary information from field sources and eyewitness testimonies, the attack resulted in the deaths of at least 13 civilians and the injury of others, most of whom were children, in an incident the organization described as one of the deadliest attacks against civilians in the region recently.
The organization explained that dozens of civilians, including children and women, were gathered around a collective Iftar table at the time of the Maghrib call to prayer, a time and place devoid of any military character. It noted that available information indicates there were no clashes or combat movements in the vicinity of the site, reinforcing the purely civilian nature of the targeted gathering.
In a special testimony to SAM Organization, an eyewitness stated that the Houthi group deliberately targeted the Haradh District area under the control of the internationally recognized government in Hajjah Governorate -an area densely populated with internally displaced persons estimated at around 3,000 people- by launching a rocket timed to coincide with the evening iftar meal. The witness explained that the launch occurred after waiting for the call to prayer according to the group’s own timing, which is typically delayed by several minutes, meaning the strike took place when residents were gathered or in the vicinity of iftar locations.
He added that some residents had finished eating and left the site minutes before the explosion, which -according to his account- reduced the scale of casualties; nevertheless, the shelling still resulted in deaths and injuries, most of them children who remained at the location when the rocket struck.
In another testimony, a second witness reported that the attack targeted “innocent civilians, including children, gathered around a Ramadan iftar table on a blessed night,” adding that the rocket landed directly in their midst, causing bodies to be torn apart and mixed with food remains, while shrapnel spread across a wide area, hitting nearby homes and triggering widespread panic among residents. The organization also documented the testimony of a child who survived the attack, stating that the rocket fell near his home, blood spread across the area, and metal fragments penetrated the house, injuring his sister and causing damage inside their residence.
According to field information obtained by SAM, the rocket used is believed to be locally manufactured and was launched from Houthi-controlled positions in the Al-Rubou’ area of Abs District, which lies geographically adjacent to Haradh District in Hajjah Governorate.
SAM stated that multiple testimonies reported a reconnaissance drone flying over the village prior to the attack, suggesting the site was under surveillance before being targeted. It added that the shelling directly hit the civilian gathering spot, leading to a large number of casualties within moments.
The organization also relayed the testimony of a witness, Mohammed Ibrahim Kadish, who reported that the projectile landed in a location where citizens were gathered under a plastic cover ("tarpaulin") for Iftar. He confirmed that the intensity of the explosion was so close that everyone in its vicinity fell either dead or wounded, including several children. He pointed out that the targeting occurred specifically at the moment of Iftar, when everyone was sitting in one place.
SAM added that it reviewed visual materials from the attack site showing extremely gruesome images of the explosion's aftermath, including the torn bodies of children, a deep crater left by the explosion, and nearby metal remnants likely to be parts of the projectile used. Food utensils, covers, and personal belongings were scattered, providing clear evidence of the site's purely civilian nature at the moment of the targeting.
The organization confirmed that it monitored preliminary information on the names of several victims who could be verified:
Issa Mohammed Hassan Faraj (24 years old)
Abdu Mohammed Ali Junaid (40 years old)
Junaid Ismail Bilhaymi Mohammed (19 years old)
Musab Ahmed Mahdi Tayyib (26 years old)
Abdulrahman Mohammed Ali Salman (32 years old)
Mohammed Yami Abdu Ali Shahir (32 years old)
Among the children:
Mawadda Akram Ali Mohammed Saleh Al-Shawsh (3 years old)
Abdulrahman Musab Ahmed Mahdi Al-Tayyib (5 years old)
Among the wounded were recorded:
Asma Musab Ahmed Mahdi Al-Tayyib (3 years old)
Walid Ibrahim Abdullah Abu Anish (30 years old)
Naeem Ali Obeid Qawas (19 years old), Tareq Adel Mohammed Junaid (1.5 years old, in critical condition)
Fouad Ibrahim Abdullah Abu Anish (34 years old).
It was noted that the number of injured is expected to rise due to critical cases and the incomplete census of victims so far.
SAM emphasized that targeting a clear civilian gathering during a religious and social occasion, in a residential location devoid of military targets, represents a grave violation of the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precautions stipulated in International Humanitarian Law, and amounts to a war crime necessitating international criminal accountability.
The organization called for the opening of an independent and transparent international investigation to identify those responsible for this attack and ensure perpetrators do not escape punishment. It also urged the international community to take urgent action to protect civilians in Yemen's conflict zones, provide medical and humanitarian support to the victims and their families, and ensure redress and compensation for those affected. It stressed that the continued targeting of civilians undermines any real chances for achieving peace and deepens the humanitarian tragedy in the country.