Saudi-led Airstrike Kills 24 Civilians in Yemeni Market

Published June 18th, 2017 - 05:00 GMT
Yemenis stand on the rubble of houses destroyed in a separate Saudi-led coalition air strike in Sanaa on June 9, 2017. (Mohammed Huwais/AFP)
Yemenis stand on the rubble of houses destroyed in a separate Saudi-led coalition air strike in Sanaa on June 9, 2017. (Mohammed Huwais/AFP)

At least 24 civilians were killed after a Saudi-led air coalition bombarded a market in Yemen, the country's rebel-held news agency Saba reported on Sunday.

The attack late Saturday targeted the market in Yemen's far northern province of Saada, a stronghold of the rebel Houthis near the Saudi border, the agency added, citing a local health official.

One other civilian was injured.

Witnesses told dpa that the Saudi army fired cross-border shells at the area following the air raid, as people were searching for survivors in the bombarded site.

So far, there has been no comment from the Saudi-led alliance, which has been fighting the Iran-allied rebels in Yemen for more than two years.

In October last year, 115 people were killed and more than 600 injured in a Saudi-led bombardment of a funeral hall in the rebel-controlled capital of Sana'a.

At the time, the Saudi-led coalition blamed that bombing on "wrong information" from its Yemeni allies.

Yemen's Saudi-backed government has been locked in a feud with the Houthis since late 2014.

The conflict has intensified since March 2015, when the Houthis first advanced on the southern city of Aden, prompting Saudi Arabia and Sunni allies to start an air campaign against the Shiite group.

Saudis fear that rebels will give their regional rival, Iran, a foothold on the Arabian Peninsula.