Bombs hidden in bricks and flasks make crossing Yemen ever more perilous

Show caption: Mine clearance workers say explosives have been hidden in Th…

New warning from Halo Trust as Yemen says three medics killed in Houthi strike on clinic

The National

November 02, 2026

Makeshift bombs hidden in bags, Thermos flasks and everyday objects are putting civilians in danger during the war in Yemen, a mine clearance charity has warned.

The Halo Trust said explosives had been planted at roadsides as 300,000 people head for temporary shelters during fighting between the Yemeni government and the Houthis.

The warning came as a Houthi strike killed five people at a medical centre and injured 15 others, according to the Yemeni government. It appeared to be one of the worst attacks on medics since the civil war was reignited this summer.

The risk of landmines adds to the dangers facing civilians. The Halo Trust said improvised bombs were disguised as rocks, bricks and Thermos flasks, and hidden in bags or under soil.

"With frontlines shifting and civilians fleeing their homes for unfamiliar areas, the risk of encountering hidden explosives is growing by the day," said the trust's Middle East director, Andrew Moore. "Survey and mine clearance are critical and must keep pace with the changing conflict to help protect lives."

The charity said mines and unexploded bombs appeared to be lying on "vital transport routes". It said most of the mines being laid were around the city of Taiz, which is under siege by the Houthis.

Show caption: Anti-vehicle mines found by Yemeni government forces in Taiz…

Clinic strike

The attack on medics occurred in Lahj province in the south of Yemen, government media said. It said 10 members of medical staff were among the casualties, three of them dead and seven wounded.

Yemen's Health Ministry called the attack "a serious crime", breaching rules about the neutrality of medical centres. The fighting comes amid fears that a wider regional war will resume if the US and Israel begin a second phase of strikes on Iran.

Heavy fighting in Yemen resumed in August as the Houthis began a push to the Red Sea, opening a new front in the regional war. The rebels are equipped by Iran but are also believed to have developed their own weapons. The Houthis control the capital Sanaa, while the Yemeni government operates from Aden.

The government and a Saudi-led coalition have hit back with strikes on the Houthis. The coalition said on Monday that two drones had been intercepted in the Riyadh area, while a ballistic missile was shot down in southern Saudi Arabia.

The Houthis claimed ⁠​they had ⁠launched drones towards ⁠Saudi Arabia's ​Dammam airport, as ‌well ​as a radar in Jizan and a military transport aircraft nearby. There ⁠was ​no ​immediate ‌Saudi ⁠confirmation.

Updated:

November 02, 2026, 5:48 PM