The militias had laid mines around the mosque entrance and on village roads.

In a new example of their desecration of sacred places and of their crimes against innocent civilians, the Iran-backed Houthi militias have transformed a village mosque in Yemen's Al Duraihimi District into a military position, Wam reported on Tuesday.

The militias burned the room of the mosque's Imam and also stationed snipers in the minaret and on the roof of the mosque. They also forcibly expelled the inhabitants of the village, Al Jeraiba.

Since staging their coup against the legitimate authorities in Yemen, the criminal Houthi militias have targeted hundreds of mosques and centres for the memorisation of the Quran, shelling some and transforming others into military barracks or positions. In other incidents, the Houthis have looted mosques before blowing them up, in contravention of international laws protecting places of religious significance. These blatant types of interference with the sanctity of religious buildings are undertaken with complete disregard for the feelings of the people and are part of a series of attempts to ignite sectarian conflicts in the areas which they blockade of control.

Houthis turn mosque in Al Duraihimi into military position https://t.co/xbkjjsDoGq #?????_??? - ????? ????? ???????? (@wamnews) September 18, 2018

Narrating the incident, Abdullah Hassan Ali, a resident of Al Jeraiba village told WAM that the Iran-backed militias had stormed the farms and houses of the village, expelling the inhabitants by force.

He added that the Houthis were terrified when they learnt that the Arab Coalition forces had reached the village.

A member of the UAE Armed Forces, which are operating as part of the Saudi-led Arab Coalition, said that the Houthi militias had laid mines around the mosque entrance and on village roads.

"Most of the mines have been removed and neutralised for the safety of the innocent civilians and in line with the Arab Coalition's objectives," he said.

In a further flagrant violation of human rights and of international laws protecting religious places, the Houthi militias looted contents of the mosques before blowing them up.