SANAA, Yemen

The Yemeni government on Sunday accused Houthi rebels of banning the Tarawih, special night prayers during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in areas under their control.

Information Minister Moammar Al-Eryani said Houthis “seek to impose by force their ideas and sectarian beliefs imported from Iran.”

"The Houthis are targeting the sectarian diversity and undermining the principle of coexistence in Yemeni society,” he added in statements carried by the state news agency Saba.

The Yemeni minister called on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Muslim scholars and rights groups to condemn the Houthi practices and their assaults on mosques.

There was no comment from the Houthi group on the minister’s accusations.

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iran-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

A Saudi-led coalition, which seeks to reinstate the Yemeni government, has worsened the situation, causing one of the world’s worst man-made humanitarian crises. Nearly 80%, or about 30 million people, are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection, and more than 13 million in danger of starvation, according to UN estimates.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar