Saudi-led coalition air raid kills 12 Yemeni civilians

Around 12 Yemenis have been killed when they were hit by a Saudi-led coalition bomb on their way to a market.

1 min read

23 November, 2016

Refugees in Yemen have seen their houses destroyed in air raids [AFP]

An air raid by the Saudi-led anti-Houthi coalition has killed 12 civilians in the north-west of the country, rebel media and witnesses said on Wednesday.

Six others were wounded in the raid that targeted a vehicle in Hiran, in Hajja province, reported the Houthi-run sabanews.net.

Witnesses said the victims were on their way to a market.

The raid is part of increased violence in Yemen since a 48-hour ceasefire declared by the Saudi-led coalition, which is fighting the Iran-backed rebels in support of President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, ended on Monday.

The coalition has come under repeated criticism over civilian casualties during its operations in Yemen.

It admitted in October to killing 140 people in an air strike on a funeral hall in Sanaa, blaming the deaths on "incorrect information".

More than 40 people were killed in clashes Tuesday between the rebels and pro-government forces across the country.

The Houthis overran the capital Sanaa and other parts of the impoverished country in September 2014, prompting the Arab coalition to intervene six months later in support of Hadi.

The UN says more than 7,000 people have been killed and nearly 37,000 wounded in Yemen since March 2015.