International

140 people feared dead as Saudi jets bombard funeral in Yemen

Published

8 years ago

October 9, 2016

140 people feared dead as Saudi jets bombard funeral in Yemen

A funeral at a community hall in the Yemeni capital Sanaa turned bloody after Saudi-led warplanes struck, killing more than 140 mourners according to local health officials cited by the United Nations.

The attack on mourners at the funeral reception, attended by military and intelligence officials of Houthi led-government, prompted a strong rebuke from Washington, a key Saudi ally.

The United Nations released a statement saying the UN humanitarian coordinator and the NGO community in Yemen were outraged and shocked by the air strikes.

“Initial reports from health officials in Sanaa indicate over 140 people were killed and over 525 injured,” OCHA said in the statement.

According to Ghazi Ismail, the Houthi-run administration’s acting health minister, Saudi Arabia committed a major crime following the air strikes which killed scores of people who had gathered in the hall to take part in a funeral ceremony.

“The Saudi aggression committed a major crime today, by attacking a mourning hall for the al-Roweishan family, targeting residents in the hall,” Ismail told a news conference in Sanaa.

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