Civilians killed in US-UK airstrikes in Yemen, Houthis say

By Mohammed Sameai

SANAA, Yemen (AA) – Civilians were reported killed in fresh US-UK airstrikes in Yemen early Sunday, according to the Houthi group.

The Houthi-run Human Rights Ministry said that more than 15 strikes targeted several provinces, including the capital Sanaa.

A number of civilians were killed and injured in the attacks, the ministry said, without giving an exact figure.

There was no immediate comment from Washington or London on the Houthi claim.

The Houthis have been targeting cargo ships in the Red Sea owned or operated by Israeli companies or transporting goods to and from Israel in solidarity with the Gaza Strip, where more than 32,200 people have been killed in a deadly Israeli offensive since last October following a Hamas attack.

A coalition led by the US - under the name Operation Prosperity Guardian - has conducted intermittent airstrikes since Jan. 12 that have targeted Houthi sites in parts of Yemen in response to the attacks in the Red Sea.

The Red Sea is one of the world's most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi