Published 22:29 IST, September 23rd 2019
Yemen: 5 civilians reportedly killed in Saudi-led coalition airstrike
5 civilians were reportedly killed in an airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition in Omran province in Yemen. It was reported that the coalition hit a mosque
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Five civilians were reportedly killed in an airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition in Omran province in Yemen. It was reported that the coalition hit a mosque where the civilians had sought shelter when the attacks began. The five people are reported to be of the same family. According to the reports, there are still two children missing and the rescuers are searching the debris from the building. There was no immediate confirmation by Saudi Arabia regarding the attack. Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis had allegedly announced on September 20 that they would stop aiming missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia, provided the kingdom reciprocated by stopping its attacks on them and warning that the continuation of the war could lead to dangerous developments. The announcement later led to Saudi-led air raids against the Houthis in Yemen's port city of Hodeidah which was seen as a retaliation for attacks on two major oil facilities in Saudi Arabia which were claimed by Yemen's Houthi rebels which are backed by Iran.
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Saudi Arabia and the UAE allies
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are allies in the war. In recent times, the Houthi rebels have continuously targetted the key infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. They have also allegedly picked out dozens of sites in the UAE as possible targets for future attacks. The coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE also reportedly intervened in Yemen in March 2015 after the Houthis removed the government in Sanaa in 2014. The conflict has killed thousands of Yemenis and left more than a million on the brink of famine. The United Nations has called it the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
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Earlier attacks
Earlier this month, shelling by the Houthi rebels had reportedly killed approximately 13 civilians including women and children in the provinces of Hodeida and Taiz. The officials reported that six members belonging to the same family had been killed in the south of the Red Sea city. They also reported that two children were killed by mortar fire in the Salih district in the southwestern province of Taiz. Another case took place where an explosion targetting a government military convoy killed six Yemeni troops and one Saudi Arabian officer. The blast took place in eastern Hadramawt province.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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21:36 IST, September 23rd 2019