Yemenis held funeral ceremonies on Friday for 18 people, most of them civilians, who were reportedly killed by Houthi attacks in the southwestern governorate of Taiz, according to local authorities.

The governorate’s administration said the victims included a girl named Mushira and her father, who were killed when shelling struck their home on Mount Sabir.

The funerals coincided with an announcement by the government-aligned Giants Brigades that they had repelled a Houthi attack near the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

Taiz Governor Nabil Shamsan reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to efforts aimed at regaining control of the governorate and ending the siege imposed on it.

Meanwhile, human rights reports indicated that dozens of civilians had been killed or injured in recent days as a result of shelling targeting several areas of Taiz.