A/HRC/36/33 military training activities were conducted there. JIAT reported that the closest site targeted by coalition forces that day was a weapons store 10 kilometres away. 42 56. On 6 January 2017, in Al-Khameis area, Arhab district, Sana’a Governorate, several airstrikes damaged civilian objects, killing nine civilians, including five children, and injuring four other civilians. The first airstrike hit a school and, a few minutes later, a second airstrike hit a mosque. The facilities, which were 50 metres apart and empty at the time, were both damaged. Approximately one hour later, a third airstrike hit a vehicle transporting local civilians to the scene of the first two airstrikes to assess the damage. All those on board were killed or injured. 57. The cultural heritage of Yemen has been another casualty of this conflict. Since September 2014, cultural sites, including castles, ruins, shrines, museums and other historical buildings had sustained damage. Much of the damage was incidental, as all parties to the conflict failed to respect and take the required measures to protect cultural property when conducting hostilities. Nonetheless, OHCHR documented several cases of targeted attacks against cultural and religious sites during the course of the conflict. Most of those cases were attributed to armed groups affiliated with Al-Qaida or unknown actors. For example, on the evening of 29 July 2016, in the Old City, Al-Mudhaffar district, Taizz Governorate, four armed men were seen leaving an ancient mosque and tomb, just before an improvised explosive device detonated, destroying the site, and killing one civilian and injuring four others when a nearby home collapsed. Child casualties and recruitment 58. Since March 2015, when documentation began, OHCHR has verified that 1,120 children have been killed and 1,541 injured in incidents of armed conflict. 43 Continuing the trend of recent years, more than half of the child casualties in the past year were the result of coalition airstrikes. Ground engagements, shelling, landmines and unexploded ordnance also resulted in child casualties. The casualty figures reflect the nature of the conflict; areas where children were present, such as residential areas, markets, schools and hospitals, continued to be affected by attacks carried out by all parties to the conflict. 59. Children also continued to be recruited and used in hostilities, contrary to international humanitarian law and human rights law. 44 Such violations remain challenging to document. Since March 2015, the country task force on monitoring and reporting documented 1,702 cases of child recruitment and use, 67 per cent of which were attributed to Houthi/Saleh forces and 20 per cent to pro-Government forces. In the past year, nearly one-quarter of the 488 documented cases were reportedly from Taizz Governorate. Approximately 100 of those children were reportedly younger than 15 years. OHCHR monitors frequently observed children as young as 10 years who were armed and uniformed and manning the checkpoints of Houthi/Saleh forces. Drone attacks and raids 60. The ongoing conflict between Houthi/Saleh and pro-Government forces exacerbated security vacuums that had been increasingly exploited by extremist groups, including AlQaida. In its campaign against suspected Al-Qaida affiliates, the United States of America, in cooperation with the Government of Yemen, continued to conduct targeted drone attacks and raids. In one such incident, on 29 January 2017, in Yakla’a village, Rada’ district, AlBayda Governorate, a night raid by United States forces on suspected Al-Qaida operatives resulted in the killing of at least 10 children and 5 women. The operation destroyed more 42 43 44 12 See www.spa.gov.sa/viewstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1567371. The country task force on monitoring and reporting documented 1,676 children killed and 2,760 injured. OHCHR is a member of the task force and contributes its casualty figures to these totals. See ICRC, rules 136 and 137. Yemen ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict.