SANAA, Yemen

Nine Yemeni soldiers were killed Sunday in a landmine explosion in Houth stronghold Saada in northern Yemen, according to a local NGO.

In a statement, the Yemeni Landmine Records said fatalities occurred when a military patrol struck a landmine in Baqa’ area in Saada province.

The NGO, which documents victims of mines and unexploded ordnance in Yemen, said Houthi rebels have planted large numbers of landmines in Baqa’ area, without giving any further details.

The Yemeni army has yet to confirm the deaths.

There was no comment from the Houthi group on the report.

Yemeni officials estimate that more than two million landmines have been planted in the country since the Yemeni conflict erupted in 2014.

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability, 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 nearly 80% or around 30 million people needing humanitarian assistance and protection and more than 13 million in danger of starvation, according to UN estimates.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar