DUBAI: The Houthi militia committed almost 66,000 crimes against children since the conflict broke out in Yemen, a rights group has claimed.

The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms, in a report from state news agency Saba New, said that the Iran-backed Houthis perpetrated 65,971 offenses against minors in nearly four years since they started monitoring the militia’s activities.

The crimes purported happened between Jan. 1, 2015 and Aug. 30, 2019, the report added.

Saba New likewise reported the rights group managed to document 3,888 deaths among children in Houthi-related attacks on civilian areas, sniper shootings and landmines as well as the deprivation of medical provisions in areas under their control.

The rights group likewise said that children were being forcefully recruited to the Houthi’s armed group, with about 12,341 underaged fighters still in their ranks.

On Sunday, Saudi-led coalition forces and the Houthis reached a deal for the largest prisoner swap since the conflict in Yemen began in 2015. The Houthis will release 400 coalition prisoners while the Yemeni government will free 681 Houthi fighters. 

The deal followed a week of talks in Switzerland and premised on a release plan that the two parties agreed in Amman in February.