Senior Yemeni military officers survive Houthi missile attack

ADEN, Yemen, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- A celebration gathering, which was held in Yemen's northern province of Hajjah and attended by some senior military officers from the Yemeni government, was hit by missiles on Sunday, a government official told Xinhua.

The official, who prefers to be anonymous, said a torch-lighting ceremony was held in the Midi district of Hajjah province to celebrate the upcoming September Revolution Day when four missiles landed in and around the site.

The senior military officers, along with dozens of civilians, left the site just minutes before it was hit by the missiles, the official said, adding the attack caused no casualties.

The official accused the Houthi group of launching the missiles, calling it an "apparent plan to assassinate the government military officers and other local leaders."

The Houthi group, which controls large swathes of northern Yemen, made no comments regarding the missile attack.

Yemen marks September Revolution Day on Sept. 26 each year to commemorate the overthrow of the Imam Muhammad al-Badr on this day in 1962, which led to the establishment of the Yemen Arab Republic.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government out of the capital Sanaa.

The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 4 million, and pushed the country to the brink of starvation.