Yemeni gov’t forces, Houthis trade blame for deadly strikes on Taiz market

The attack on al-Hadara market in Taiz governorate’s al-Waziiya district killed at least 30 people, Yemen’s Houthi rebels say. Yemen’s government forces and the Houthi rebel group are trading blame for an attack on the al-Hadara market in the Taiz governorate, that both sides say killed and injured dozens of people.

The spokesperson for the Yemeni government forces, Colonel Majed al-Nazili, said the “terrorist” Houthis struck the market on Friday with ballistic missiles, causing dozens of civilian casualties. He accused the Iran-backed group of committing a “war crime” and called for accountability.

The Houthis, however, accused Saudi Arabia, which backs Yemen’s internationally recognised government, of having launched three air strikes on the market, killing at least 30 civilians and injuring eight others. Its Ministry of Health and Environment in the Yemeni Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa said Riyadh committed a “horrific crime” and called for an independent international investigation into Saudi Arabia’s “systematic targeting” of civilians.