SANAA, Yemen

Two ballistic missiles fired by Houthi rebels on Tuesday claimed the lives of three civilians, including a child, and injured 10 others in Yemen's central Marib province, local authorities said.

A brief statement by the authorities said that two children were among those injured.

There has been no comment from Houthi rebels on the report.

The Yemeni government controls most of Marib, while the Houthis control some areas in the province.

In recent months, Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels have stepped up attacks to take control of the oil-rich Marib province, one of the most important strongholds of the legitimate government and home to the headquarters of Yemen’s Defense Ministry.

On Feb.13, the Yemeni army launched a large-scale operation against the Houthis on various fronts in Marib to protect the province.

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 aimed at reinstating the Yemeni government has worsened the situation, causing one of the world’s worst man-made humanitarian crises with 233,000 people killed, nearly 80% or about 30 million needing humanitarian assistance and protection, and more than 13 million in danger of starvation, according to UN estimates.

*Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar in Ankara