Saudi-led coalition to probe Yemen funeral airstrike

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SANAA, Yemen (AP) 

(1 of 12) Shoes of victims lay on the ground at the site of a house destroyed by a Saudi-led airstrikes in outskirts of Sanaa, Yemen, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017. At least one Saudi-led airstrike near Yemen's rebel-held capital killed at least five people on Wednesday, the country's Houthi rebels and medical officials said.

February 16, 2017

"There have been ongoing military confrontations for days between the Yemeni armed forces and Houthi militias" outside Sanaa, the coalition said in a statement, referring to the Shiite Houthi rebels who control the capital. "We will verify these claims and provide media outlets with any information we obtain."

Jamie McGoldrick, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Yemen, said he was "saddened and appalled" by the attack on the funeral gathering. "It is not the first time that a funeral gathering is struck by airstrikes, nor is it the first time that women and children are killed in civilian premises such as hospitals, schools and private homes," he said in a statement. "The manner in which the parties to the conflict are waging this war is taking an unacceptable toll on the civilian population in Yemen."

The war in Yemen has killed more than 10,000 civilians and displaced over three million people. It pits the Houthis and allied army units against the U.S.-backed coalition, which is fighting to restore an internationally recognized government.