ADEN, Yemen, April 27 (Xinhua) -- At least six Yemenis, including three children, were killed on Saturday in a bombardment that targeted their vehicle in the southern province of al-Dhalea, a security official told Xinhua.
The security source, who asked to remain anonymous, said that a car belonging to a citizen named Ali Maarshi was bombarded while traveling on a sub-road in Qatabah district, west of al-Dhalea, 245 km south of the country's capital Sanaa.
He said that the unidentified bombardment led to the "killing of six civilians, including three children," and completely destroyed their vehicle.
"Residents rushed to the bombardment site and recovered the victims but some of their bodies were torn apart," the source said.
The area where the bombardment took place was a frontline of military confrontations between the pro-government forces and the Houthi fighters, he added.
Local Yemeni government officials based in al-Dhalea province did not comment on the incident.
The Houthis accused the Saudi Arabia-led coalition of targeting the civilian vehicle in al-Dhalea, according to the Houthi-affiliated Masirah television network.
Over the past days, the Houthi rebels continued to achieve rapid military progress into Yemen's southern provinces following fierce battles with the Saudi-backed government forces.
On Wednesday, scores of Houthi fighters launched a series of intense armed attacks on the positions of government forces and succeeded in seizing the district of Al Husha in the west of al-Dhalea.
The areas in the north and west of al-Dhalea have been witnessing continuous fighting between government forces and Houthi fighters for nearly four years.
Yemen has been plagued by a civil war since late 2014 after Houthi rebels revolted against the internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
The rebels advanced from their far northern stronghold of Saada province toward the south, and seized control over much of the country's north including the capital Sanaa, thus triggering the civil war.
