A member of the traffic police forces loyal to Yemen`s Houthi rebels controls traffic along a road in the Houthi-held capital Sanaa on March 24, 2022. Photo: AFP

Five children in southwestern Yemen died after an explosive device detonated in a residential area where they were playing soccer, rights groups and eyewitnesses said on Saturday, reports AP.

The circumstances surrounding their deaths on Friday night in Al-Hashmah subdistrict of Taiz province remain unclear.

A spokesperson for the United Nations children’s agency UNICEF said that they are aware of reports about the incident but can’t verify the facts at the moment.

Two local residents who were eyewitnesses, Ahmed Al-Sharee and Khaled Al-Areki, said that the children were playing soccer when the explosion happened.

At least three people with minor to moderate injuries were also taken to the hospital.

Mahmoud Al-Mansi, another eyewitness, said the explosive was directed from an area where forces allied with the Islah party were present.

The Yemen Center for Human Rights condemned the incident in a report that included graphic photos of the children’s torn bodies. Citing health care sources at Al-Rafai Hospital, where the victims arrived unresponsive, the group said they died from shrapnel injuries.

Two of the children were 12 years old, while two others were 14 years old, according to the group. The age of the fifth child is unknown.