372 civilians died in Yemen over last 3 years due to mines laid by Houthis: NGO

A total of 372 civilians were killed and 754 others injured in the last three years due to mines planted by Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, according to a local NGO.

The Houthis have placed thousands of anti-personnel and land mines as well as explosives of various sizes in many parts of the country, especially in Taiz, for years, the Yemeni Mine Observatory said in a statement on Sunday.

The statement also called on the Houthis to "hand over the mine maps to the relevant authorities" in order to avoid further casualties due to mines.

The statement was released after local sources reported that three civilians were killed in a mine explosion in the western Yemeni city of Al Hudaydah.

Human rights groups estimate that there are more than 8,000 landmine victims in Yemen, mostly women and children.

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

The Saudi-led coalition entered the war in early 2015 to restore the government to power.

The war has created one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with millions suffering from hunger.