Houthi rebels killed a mother and her son on Saturday in an attack on a residential area in Yemen’s southwestern province of Taiz, according to a local medical official. The attack damaged several other houses and farms in the village of al-Hajamah in the al-Abous district.

The source, requesting anonymity, said this incident was the latest in a series of Houthi shellings on Taiz, a city under rebel siege for over seven years. The Houthis have implemented a rigorous blockade on Taiz, restricting access to major roads, which has led to prolonged delays for residents needing food and medical supplies.

The Yemeni government has demanded the lifting of this blockade as a primary condition during ongoing peace negotiations. Despite numerous negotiation rounds facilitated by the United Nations between the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels, a comprehensive resolution to the conflict remains elusive.

Yemen has been gripped by a destructive civil war since 2014, with the Houthis battling the internationally recognized Yemeni government. The Saudi Arabia-led coalition intervened to back the Yemeni government in 2015.