Civilians killed in Yemen strike

  • 20/07/2017
Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Salam
Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Salam condemned it as "monstrous". Photo credit: Reuters

At least 20 Yemeni civilians have been killed and many others wounded in a Saudi-led coalition air strike which hit a village in the south.

The UN said the victims of Tuesday's bombing, which hit al-Atera village in Taiz province where fighting between Yemen's two warring sides has intensified, were internally displaced people.

Yemen's internationally recognised government confirmed about 20 people were killed, including women and children.

Yemeni human rights minister Mohammed Askar called for a government investigation into what he described as an "unfortunate incident", while Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Salam condemned it as "monstrous".

Shabia Mantoo, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees spokesman in Yemen said most of those killed were believed from the same family.

Government forces backed by the coalition have been fighting to seize a major military base in the area for several months. The Saudi-led coalition was formed in 2015 to fight the Iran-allied Houthis after they overran the capital Sanaa.

Tuesday's attack was the latest in a series of coalition bombings that have hit schools, hospitals, markets and private homes across northern Yemen.

Reuters