By Mohamed al-Samei  

SANAA, Yemen

The Yemeni government on Sunday accused the Houthi rebel group of using civilians as human shields in the western city of Al-Hudaydah.  

“Houthis are deployed on the roofs of citizens’ homes and using hospitals, schools and worship places as a base for military activities,” the Human Rights Ministry said in a statement cited by the official Saba news agency.  

The ministry decried the “Iran-backed” group’s practices which it described as “a crime and a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and international law.”  

The ministry said it is documenting all rebel violations, including forcing children to fight on the frontlines.   

Houthis were not immediately available for comments on the accusations.  

Impoverished Yemen has remained wracked by violence since 2014, when Shia Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa.  

The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a devastating air campaign in Yemen aimed at rolling back Houthi gains.