32 killed as rebels fire shell on boat

onnaedo

May 6, 2015 4:33 PM

No fewer than 32 people have been killed after Houthi rebels reportedly fired shells on a boat leaving the al-Tawahi district for al-Buraiqa in the west.

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According to witnesses who spoke to Reuters news agency, a barge carrying people trying to flee the fighting in al-Tawahi was hit by shells as it left a small fishing harbour in the Gulf of Aden.

Also, BBC reports that earlier, rebel sources said at least 34 civilians were killed in Saudi-led coalition air strikes in north Yemen.

Warplanes reportedly targeted more than 30 locations in the provinces of Saada and Hajjah, as the coalition had vowed to respond to a cross-border attack on the Saudi border town of Najran earlier in the week, which left three people dead.

Meanwhile, overnight in Aden, there was fierce fighting between militiamen loyal to exiled President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and Houthi fighters, backed by allied security personnel.

Houthi rebels have been locked in battle with forces loyal to President Hadi for months, which prompted a Saudi-led coalition to join the fight with the aim of restoring Mr Hadi's "legitimate government".

It has however so far failed to stop the Houthis' assault on Aden even as world leaders call for a seize fire.

This (Wednesday) morning, 22 aid agencies called for an immediate end to the conflict and warned that their work risked coming to an abrupt end within a week unless land, sea and air routes to Yemen were opened immediately for the importation of fuel.

onnaedo