Colonel Majed al-Nazili, spokesperson for the Yemeni government forces, said the Houthis had struck the market in the al-Waziiya district with ballistic missiles on Friday, causing numerous civilian casualties. He described the attack as a “war crime” and called for those responsible to be held accountable, Al Jazeera reported.
The Houthis, meanwhile, blamed Saudi Arabia, which backs Yemen’s government, for the attack. The group’s Ministry of Health and Environment said three air strikes had killed at least 30 civilians and injured eight others. It called for an independent international investigation.
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Al Jazeera said it could not independently verify the accounts. The Saudi-led coalition had not commented on the allegations at the time of publication.
Fighting has been continuing in al-Waziiya, an area controlled by the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah. Al Jazeera correspondent Yousef Mawry, reporting from Sanaa, said the Saudi-led coalition had been conducting daily attacks in an effort to seize the district and its strategic mountain range.
Mawry said control of al-Waziiya was significant because it could determine access to much of Yemen’s western Red Sea coastline.
Meanwhile, the Yemeni army said government forces had recaptured several locations in Taiz governorate on Friday, including al-Nidani village, Shaab al-Sarari, parts of the Sanamat area and Ribat al-Qarn in Dhi al-Barh. The military also reported imposing a siege on entrances to al-Sarari.
The Houthis control much of Taiz governorate, while the city of Taiz remains under government control. A Houthi siege of the city has continued for 30 days, affecting hundreds of thousands of residents.
The United Nations has repeatedly warned of a worsening humanitarian situation in Taiz, citing growing shortages of food and medicine.
Yemen’s internationally recognised government launched Operation Dawn of Yemen on October 5 to regain territory held by Houthi fighters. Since the operation began, Houthi missile attacks have also targeted areas under government control and Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis have been launching daily missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia, claiming strikes on oil facilities and disrupting air traffic across the kingdom.
