SANAA, YEMEN - Airstrikes killed more than 30 civilians in a mountainous northern Yemeni province Saturday, the U.N. humanitarian chief for the country said, calling the attack shocking.
The Yemeni rebels, known as Houthis, accused the Saudi-led coalition of launching retaliatory airstrikes after they shot down a coalition warplane over the province of Jawf.
Saudi Arabia’s state-run news agency quoted Col. Turki al-Maliki, a spokesman for the coalition, as saying it was investigating “possible collateral damage” from a rescue operation in the area after the downing of the Tornado warplane late Friday.
Al-Maliki was quoted as saying the plane was providing air support for Yemeni government forces fighting the Houthis.
He said the two-pilot crew of the Tornado managed to eject safely before the crash, claiming that the Houthis opened fire on them. He said the Houthis were responsible for the pilots’ “life and safety,” according to Saudi Arabia’s official news agency.
He did not say whether there were causalities or provide further details.
The U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, Lise Grande, said “these terrible strikes” in al-Maslub district killed at least 31 civilians and wounded 12 others, according to preliminary field reports.
“So many people are being killed in Yemen -- it’s a tragedy and it’s unjustified. Five years into this conflict and belligerents are still failing to uphold this responsibility,” she said. “It’s shocking.”
She said many wounded were taken to hospitals in Jawf and Yemen’s capital, Sanaa.
Youssef al-Hadri, spokesman for the Houthi-run health ministry, said the airstrikes killed at least 32 people including women and children.
