A Saudi-led Arab coalition air strike tried to target rebels on the southern outskirts of the Red Sea port of Khoukha

An air strike by a Saudi-led Arab coalition on a market in Yemen killed 20 civilians and six rebels on Friday, medical and military sources said.

The aircraft tried to target rebels at a roadblock on the southern outskirts of the Red Sea port of Khokha, but the fighters fled to a market where they were attacked, the sources said.

The raid took place at the entrance to the market that sells the mild narcotic leaf qat, which is very popular among Yemeni men.

A military source close to Saudi-backed President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi said that by fleeing to the market, the rebels had used civilians as "human shields".

The rebel television channel Al-Masirah also reported the air strike, but give a slightly higher toll of 27 killed and said dozens more were wounded.

The Saudi-led coalition which has been battling Shiite Huthi rebels opposed to Hadi was not immediately available for comment.

The Arab force has come under repeated criticism over civilian casualties in Yemen.

In December, it acknowledged that it had made "limited use" of British-made cluster bombs but said it had stopped using them.

On Thursday, Amnesty International accused the coalition of using banned Brazilian-manufactured cluster munitions in raids on residential areas in northern Saada province, a Shiite stronghold.

In mid-February, a coalition air strike killed eight women and a child at a funeral reception near the rebel-held Yemeni capital, Sanaa.

Meanwhile, the rebel news agency Sabanews.net reported Friday that a coalition boat hit a mine off the coast of Yemen's historic port of Mokha on Thursday and exploded, causing casualties.

Pro-Hadi forces took Mokha from the insurgents on February 10 and said they aimed to push north to retake the country's main Red Sea port of Hodeida next.

On Monday, at least 16 Huthis were killed in a coalition air strike northeast of Hodeida and 23 others were wounded, medical and military sources said.

Khokha is south of Hodeida.

The conflict in Yemen has left more than 7,400 people dead and 40,000 wounded since the coalition intervened on the government's side in March 2015, the United Nations says.</s>At least 17 people have been killed in a Saudi-led coalition airstrike on a marketplace in the town of Al Hudaydah in Yemen, medics told an RT stringer.More than 12 people were injured, with the medics warning that the death toll may rise to over two dozen.According to AFP,The militants allegedly fled to the market to escape the bombardment, but were still targeted by the warplanes.A military source close to Saudi-backed President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi told AFP that the rebels used civilians as "human shields."Al-Masirah TV channel, controlled by the Houthis, reported that 27 people were killed and dozens wounded in the attack.The Red Sea port of Al Hudaydah is Yemen's fourth-largest city, with a population of around 400,000, located in the west of the country.Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia has headed an international military coalition carrying out an unrelenting campaign of airstrikes against the Houthi rebels in Yemen.Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported in October that the Saudi coalition, "with direct military support from the US and assistance from the UK," conducted at least 58 "unlawful airstrikes."In late February, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, Jamie McGoldrick, said that around 10,000 people have been killed in the country since Saudi Arabia intervened, with 7 million people close to starvation.According to World Health Organization figures, more than 7,400 people have been killed, with around 1,400 of them being children.</s>Adding to the ever-growing civilian death toll as Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen enters its third year, warplanes carried out an airstrike against a marketplace, killing 26 people, 20 of them identified as civilians, in the Red Sea port of Khokha.

Saudi military officials said the intention were to attack a Houthi roadblock near the market, but when warplanes started looming overhead the guards scattered, with some running into the marketplace. The decision then was to just attack the market, hoping to get some of them.

This has led to the official narrative among the Saudis that the Houthis are using civilians as “human shields,” though clearly would be a bad tactic in this war, since the Saudis have killed far more civilians than Houthis in the first place, and any gathering of Shi’ite civilians seems to invite airstrikes.

Khokha is a small part immediately south of Hodeidah, the main port through which humanitarian aid flows into northern Yemen. Hodeidah’s port infrastructure has been regularly bombed over the course of the war, limiting aid access into the Houthi parts of the country.
• Turkey Claims to Have Killed 71 US-Backed Kurds in Syria Attacks - March 10th, 2017
• US Deploying Thousands More Ground Troops to Kuwait to Fight in Iraq, Syria - March 10th, 2017</s>Medical and military sources say air strikes by Saudi-led forces on a market in Yemen killed at least 20 civilians and six rebel fighters.

The sources on March 10 said the planes had targeted a roadblock manned by Shi'ite Houthi fighters near the Red Sea port of Khoukha.

They said the fighters fled to the market, where they were hit by the air strikes.

Saudi-backed President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi said the rebels had used civilians as "human shields," one unnamed military official told the AFP news agency.

In a separate incident, a naval mine that security officials said was planted by rebels hit a Yemeni coast guard ship in the Red Sea. At least two sailors were killed and eight injured.

Saudi-led coalition forces are fighting Shi'ite Houthi rebels in Yemen in a war that began in 2014 when Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa.

More than 10,000 civilians have been killed in the fighting and some 3 million people have been displaced.

U.S. jets and drones have also been active over Yemen, targeting fighters of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

Both the U.S.- and Saudi-led forces have been criticized for causing civilian deaths.

Based on reporting by AFP and AP</s>At least 22 civilians were killed on Friday and dozens wounded when a Saudi-led coalition air strike hit a market in western Yemen causing a fire to break out, a local official said.

Missiles launched by fighter jets of the Arab alliance hit a market selling the mild narcotic leaf qat, which is popular among Yemenis, near the Red Sea fishing town of Khoukha.

Rescue workers on Friday night were battling a blaze in the market caused by the attack and pulling bodies out of the rubble some of which were burned beyond recognition, according to Hashim Azazi, deputy governor of Hodeidah province.

"All of those killed were civilians, none were holding weapons," said Azazi.

A coalition spokesperson was not immediately available to comment.

Khoukha and the nearby city of Hodeidah are controlled by Iran-allied Houthi fighters who in 2014 overran Yemen's capital Sanaa and forced the Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to flee into exile.

Yemeni government forces backed by Gulf Arab troops recaptured control of the southern Red Sea city of al-Mokha last month in a push that paved the way for an advance on Hodeidah, the country's main port city.

The Saudi-led coalition was formed in 2015 to fight the Houthis and troops loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh who have fired missiles into neighboring Saudi Arabia.

Friday's attacks were the latest in a series of coalition-led strikes that have hit schools, hospitals, markets and private homes.

In December, the coalition acknowledged that it had made "limited use" of British-made cluster bombs, but said it had stopped using them.

Nearly half of Yemen's 22 provinces are on the verge of famine, according to the U.N. World Food Programme, as a result of the war that has drawn in regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia.</s>HODEIDAH, March 11 (Reuters) - At least 22 civilians were killed on Friday and dozens wounded when a Saudi-led coalition air strike hit a market in western Yemen causing a fire to break out, a local official said.

Missiles launched by fighter jets of the Arab alliance hit a market selling the mild narcotic leaf qat, which is popular among Yemenis, near the Red Sea fishing town of Khoukha.

Rescue workers on Friday night were battling a blaze in the market caused by the attack and pulling bodies out of the rubble some of which were burnt beyond recognition, according to Hashim Azazi, deputy governor of Hodeidah province.

"All of those killed were civilians, none were holding weapons," said Azazi.

A coalition spokesperson was not immediately available to comment.

Khoukha and the nearby city of Hodeidah are controlled by Iran-allied Houthi fighters who in 2014 overran Yemen's capital Sanaa and forced the Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to flee into exile.

Yemeni government forces backed by Gulf Arab troops recaptured control of the southern Red Sea city of al-Mokha last month in a push that paved the way for an advance on Hodeidah, the country's main port city.

The fighting on Yemen's west coast has displaced nearly 50,000 people in the last six weeks among them children suffering from malnutrition forced to live in schools and in tents on streets, a United Nations refugee agency spokesman told a news briefing in Geneva on Friday.

The blocking of main roads by warring parties is hampering humanitarian access to those in need.

"The incident at Khawkhah resulted in a number of civilian deaths and injuries. We're deeply saddened by this tragic loss of life," UNHCR spokeswoman for Yemen Shabia Mantoo told Reuters.

The Saudi-led coalition was formed in 2015 to fight the Houthis and troops loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh who have fired missiles into neighboring Saudi Arabia.

Friday's attacks were the latest in a series of coalition-led strikes that have hit schools, hospitals, markets and private homes.

In December, the coalition acknowledged that it had made "limited use" of British-made cluster bombs, but said it had stopped using them.

Nearly half of Yemen's 22 provinces are on the verge of famine, according to the U.N. World Food Programme, as a result of the war that has drawn in regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia. (Reporting by Abduljabbar Zeyad and Mohammed Ghobari; Additional reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in GENEVA; Writing by Tom Finn; Editing by Toby Chopra)</s>SANAA, Yemen (AP) - A Houthi rebel news agency is reporting the death toll from an airstrike on a market by the U.S.-backed, Saudi-led coalition in western Yemen has risen to 22 civilians.

SABA reported Saturday that eight people were also wounded Friday in the bombing of Khokha market in the western province of Hodeida. It added that jets continued to fly overhead, spreading fear among first responders and preventing them from rushing to rescue survivors. It was not immediately possible to verify the report.

Earlier, The Associated Press reported that at least a dozen civilians were killed.

The Saudi-led coalition began a campaign against the rebels in March 2015 in support of Yemen's internationally recognized government. The conflict has left more than 10,000 civilians dead and pushed the Arab world's poorest nation to the verge of famine.</s>PanARMENIAN.Net - At least 22 civilians were killed on Friday, March 10 and dozens wounded when a Saudi -led coalition air strike hit a market in western Yemen causing a fire to break out, a local official said, according to Reuters. Missiles launched by fighter jets of the Arab alliance hit a market selling the mild narcotic leaf qat, which is popular among Yemenis, near the Red Sea fishing town of Khoukha.

Start the conversation, or Read more at PanArmenian Network.</s>At least 22 civilians were killed Friday and dozens wounded when a Saudi-led coalition air strike hit a market in western Yemen causing a fire to break out, a local official said.

Missiles launched by fighter jets of the Arab alliance hit a market selling the mild narcotic leaf qat, which is popular among Yemenis, near the Red Sea fishing town of Khoukha.

Rescue workers Friday night were battling a blaze in the market caused by the attack and pulling bodies out of the rubble some of which were burned beyond recognition, according to Hashim Azazi, deputy governor of Hodeida province.

"All of those killed were civilians, none were holding weapons," Azazi said.

A coalition spokesperson was not immediately available to comment.

Khoukha and the nearby city of Hodeida are controlled by Iran-allied Houthi fighters who in 2014 overran Yemen's capital Sanaa and forced the Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to flee into exile.

Yemeni government forces backed by Gulf Arab troops recaptured control of the southern Red Sea city of al-Mokha last month in a push that paved the way for an advance on Hodeida, the country's main port city.

The fighting on Yemen’s west coast has displaced nearly 50,000 people in the last six weeks among them children suffering from malnutrition forced to live in schools and in tents on streets, a United Nations refugee agency spokesman tolda news briefing in Geneva on Friday.

The blocking of main roads by warring parties is hampering humanitarian access to those in need.

“The incident at Khawkhah resulted in a number of civilian deaths and injuries. We’re deeply saddened by this tragic loss of life,” UNHCR spokeswoman for Yemen Shabia Mantoo told Reuters.

Friday’s attacks were the latest in a series of coalition-led strikes that have hit schools, hospitals, markets and private homes.

Also Friday, the Associated Press reported, a Yemeni coast guard vessel hit a naval mine suspected of being planted in the Red Sea by rebels and the explosion killed two sailors and wounded eight, including the ship's captain, security officials said.</s>Iran has strongly condemned a Saudi military attack against a marketplace in the Yemeni city of al-Hudaydah, which killed 26 civilians.

The Friday attack, which also wounded 10 other Yemenis in the western city, was followed by flyovers by Saudi warplanes that were meant to keet medical staff off the premises.

Speaking on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi lambasted the increase in Saudi military strikes against residential areas and civilian targets in Yemen.

“It behooves the United Nations and other international organizations to responsibly address the issue of Yemeni civilians’ carnage through aerial attacks,” Qassemi said. “They should employ all their efforts to immediately stop such attacks and implement the measures required to preserve the health and security of civilians [there], especially women and children.”

Later, footage appeared of the aftermath of the Hudaydah attack, showing the area being strewn with bodies charred and mutilated beyond recognition.

Saudi Arabia has been pounding Yemen since March 2015. Over 12,000 have died since the onset of the invasion, which was launched in an unsuccessful attempt to bring Yemen’s former Riyadh-allied government back to power.

Ever since the launch of the war, Saudi Arabia has also been enforcing a blockade on Yemen, claiming it would prevent the delivery of arms to Yemen’s Houthi Ansarullah movement, which has been defending the country against the aggressors.

Qassemi also condemned Saudi Arabia’s continued denial of access by responsible international organizations and institutions to the afflicted areas.
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On Friday, an attacker threw an improvised explosive device at people in the Mudhaykhirah District of the southwestern Yemeni Ibb Province, killing five people, including a child, and injuring 15 others.

Yemen’s al-Masirah television network reported that the attacker was subsequently hunted down and killed by civilians in the area.

Meanwhile, a vessel enlisted with the Saudi coalition waging war on Yemen hit a naval mine in the Red Sea, The Associated Press reported, citing security officials.

The incident killed two sailors and wounded eight, including the ship’s captain.
A Saudi-led coalition airstrike on a market in Al Hudaydah Governorate, Yemen, kills at least 20 civilians and six Houthi militants.