Yemen rebels say 16 killed in Saudi-led attacks

SANAA

At least 16 civilians were killed in Saudi-led coalition airstrikes in central Yemen on Tuesday, according to the Houthi rebel group.

In a statement, rebel spokesman Yahya Sarei said two airstrikes targeted a house in the central province of Ad-Dali.
“Seven children and four women were among the victims,” he said.

There was no comment from the Saudi-led coalition on the claim.

On Monday, the Houthi group accused the coalition of killing five civilians in airstrikes in the northern Amran province.

Yemen has remained wracked by violence since 2014, when the Iran-aligned Houthi group overran much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

The conflict escalated the following year when Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies launched a massive air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi gains in Yemen and supporting the country’s pro-Saudi government.

More than 70,000 people have been killed in the raging conflict since 2016, according to UN estimates.

*Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara