Soldiers affiliated with the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group blew up a citizen's house in Rada'a of Al-Baydha province in central Yemen early Tuesday, killing at least 12 people, including women and children, local sources said.
The explosion in the house ruined nearby modest buildings, leaving 18 people under the rubble in Al-Hafra neighborhood of Rada'a city. The targeted house belonged to Ibrahim Al- Al-Zayla'i, a resident of Rada'a.
The Houth Interior Ministry's spokesperson, Brigadier General Abdul Khaleq Al-Ajri, said, "The Ministry regrets the painful incident in the city of Rada'a in Al-Baydha province, which resulted in the death of a number of security personnel and citizens."
According to Al-Ajri, the incident occurred as a result of a mistake by some security men while carrying out a security campaign to "pursue some saboteurs" who had ambushed the security men earlier, killing two security members and others were injured.
He added that some "security members" used excessive and illegal force without taking directions from the security leadership or informing the Ministry of Interior.
Yemen's UN-recognized government condemned the Houthi "heinous crime" in Rada'a city. The Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Muammar Al-Eryani, said in a statement that this crime reveals the truth about the Houthis, who claim to support the oppressed Palestinians in Gaza while they demolish the homes of Yemenis.
Al-Eryani described the Houthi attack on the house in Rada'a today as "copying the Israeli occupation practices".
Thousands of Yemenis on social media platforms expressed their anger and condemnation of the killing of innocent civilians in Rada'a. However, Houthi supporters say such an incident is an "individual behavior" and does not represent Houthi leadership.