140 Dead, 500 Injured In Saudi Airstrikes On Sanaa Funeral
MEP: More than 140 people have been killed and over 500 injured in Saudi Arabia’s airstrikes against the Yemeni capital Sana’a, targeting a crowded funeral ceremony, health and UN officials said.
According to UN sources, the Saudi jets conducted at least nine airstrikes on Khamis street in southern Sana’a. The building where the event was underway was seriously damaged in the attacks.
Jamie McGoldrick, the UN humanitarian co-ordinator for Yemen, condemned “the horrific attack”.
Hundreds of mourners had gathered in the hall to take part in a funeral ceremony.
The funeral was for the father of Jalal al-Roweishan, the interior minister in the Yemeni government.
“Initial reports from health officials in Sanaa indicate over 100 people were killed and over 434 injured,” OCHA said in the statement.
Saudi Arabia has been engaged in a deadly campaign against Yemen since March 2015. Riyadh’s aggression, which has killed more than 10,000 in Yemen, was launched in an attempt to restore power to Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, a staunch ally of Riyadh who has resigned as Yemen’s president but seeks to force his way back into power. The campaign also seeks to undermine the Houthi Ansarullah movement.
