At least 33 people have been killed and 39 wounded in airstrikes on a village near the Yemeni capital Sanaa, health authorities controlled by the Houthis said. According to them, the strikes hit residential buildings in al-Sharia, in the Bani Hushaysh district, east of Sanaa.
The Houthis blamed Saudi Arabia for the attack. Reuters was unable to independently verify the information, while Saudi Arabia’s Center for International Communication said it was checking the report.
The dead include 12 men, 8 women and 13 children. The wounded are 16 men, 10 women and 13 children, said Anis al-Asbahi, a spokesman for the Houthi health ministry. Rescue operations continued as people remained trapped under the destroyed homes.
Reports of new strikes on rescuers
Abdul-Aziz al-Daylami, head of the Sehatuna Hospital in Sanaa, told Reuters that medical teams were also affected during the rescue operations.
“The strikes are continuing. Just as the rescuers arrive, another strike follows. We have also lost some of our medical staff,” al-Daylami said.He said the hospital had admitted critically injured patients with head, chest and leg injuries, as well as multiple fractures.
Earlier, initial reports of the attack indicated 22 people killed and 30 wounded. The death toll rose as the search for people under the rubble continued.
A new round of fighting in Yemen
The attack is among the most serious incidents reported since fighting resumed in July between the Houthis and forces backed by Saudi Arabia. The renewed hostilities ended the de facto truce brokered by the United Nations in 2022.
According to figures cited by Ireland’s public broadcaster, more than 1,600 people have been killed and over 300,000 displaced since the start of the new round of the conflict. The Houthis control Sanaa and have in turn carried out missile and drone attacks against Saudi airports and oil facilities.
Saudi authorities have not publicly claimed responsibility for the strike near Sanaa. No independent investigation confirming the circumstances surrounding the attack has been reported either.
Sources: theprint.in, rte.ie, apnews.com