Yemen’s government forces and the Houthi rebel group are trading blame for an attack on the al-Hadara market in the Taiz governorate, that both sides say killed and injured dozens of people.
The Houthis on Friday accused Saudi Arabia, which backs Yemen’s internationally recognised government, of having launched three air strikes on the market, killing at least 30 civilians and injuring eight others.
Its Ministry of Health and Environment in the Yemeni Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa said Riyadh committed a “horrific crime” and called for an independent international investigation into Saudi Arabia’s “systematic targeting” of civilians.
There has been no response so far from the Saudi-led coalition forces. The spokesperson for the Yemeni government forces, Colonel Majed al-Nazili, said the “terrorist” Houthis struck the market with ballistic missiles, causing dozens of civilian casualties. He accused the Iran-backed group of committing a “war crime” and called for accountability.
Al Jazeera could not independently verify the reports.
Al Jazeera’s Yousef Mawry, reporting from Sanaa, said fighting has been ongoing in the al-Waziiya district where the market is located. The area is controlled by the Houthis, who are also known as Ansar Allah (Arabic for Supporters of God).
The Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out attacks on a daily basis to gain control of the district and its strategic mountain range, Mawry said.
“Whoever controls the al-Waziiya district controls the majority of the western Red Sea coastal line,” he added.
The Yemeni army said it recaptured several areas in the Taiz governorate on Friday, including the al-Nidani village, Shaab al-Sarari, large parts of the Sanamat area and the Ribat al-Qarn area in Dhi al-Barh.
Government forces also imposed a siege on entrances to the al-Sarari area, according to the military.
While the Houthis control much of the governorate, the city of Taiz is government-held. An ongoing Houthi siege on the city has lasted for 30 days and affected hundreds of thousands of people in the area.
The United Nations has repeatedly warned of a catastrophe inside Taiz city, where supplies of food and medicine are becoming increasingly scarce.
Yemen’s internationally recognised government launched Operation Dawn of Yemen on October 5 to take control of territories held by Houthi fighters.
Since the start of the military operation, neither Yemen’s government-controlled territories nor Saudi Arabia has been safe from Houthi missile attacks.
The Houthis have been firing missiles and drones daily into Saudi Arabia, hitting oil facilities and disrupting air traffic over the kingdom.
