Riyadh, Shawwal 04, 1439, June 18, 2018, SPA -- Landmines pose a serious threat in the conflict-inflicted areas of northern Yemen, where Government forces and Houthi rebels fought six rounds of conflict between the years 2004 and 2010. In the south, where fighting between government forces and al-Qaeda continues, the threat doubled after the Houthi coup on Yemeni legitimacy. Not only did the Iranian-backed Houthi militia steal Yemen's happiness with war, but it became the first threat to the continuation of life. Several separate reports by international human rights organizations reported that the Houthis had deliberately planted about one million mines around civilian homes and farms, which resulted in thousands being killed and maimed, and it impeded the return of large numbers of displaced people to their homes in addition to disrupting life in a number of liberated governorates. According to these reports, Houthis used mines to target individuals as well as other restricted and internationally banned mines that target vehicles in order to cause more victims. They also used mines in ways that violated all international rules of war. They indiscriminately bombed Yemeni houses and farms by placing mines in refrigerators, doors and dressers in violation of all laws and customs, thus, using murder tools in a more criminal manner. Militias have not responded to calls by international human rights organizations to stop planting mines. They have continued their multiple crimes against the Yemeni people, planting land and sea mines indiscriminately and in an unorganized or documented manner, making it harder to detect and dispose of these mines. Planting mines is a crime against humanity, a crime that affects people with permanent disabilities. --More 11:54 LOCAL TIME 08:54 GMT 0007 www.spa.gov.sa/w705019