Heavy shelling by government forces killed one child and wounded two others in south-western Yemen early Friday, a news report said.
Forces loyal to President Ali Abdallah Saleh shelled residential areas of Taiz, 270 kilometres south of the capital Sana'a, in the early hours, Al Jazeera reported.
The attack was to dissuade the city's residents from staging demonstrations against the regime after Friday prayers, the report said.
Taiz has been a focal point of tension since protests against Saleh erupted in January, DPA reported.
The violence took place a day after UN envoy Jamal Benomar arrived on a mission to try to persuade Saleh to sign a power-transfer agreement.
Saleh, in power for 33 years, has so far rejected local and international calls to step down and hand power over to his Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.