An airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition targeting Yemen’s Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, killed at least 17 people in the port city of Hodeida on Saturday, Yemeni rebel officials said.
The strike, which hit in the Jebel Ras area, also wounded 20 people, said Youssef al-Hadari, a spokesman for the rebel-run Health Ministry.
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Hodeida, with its key port installations that bring in U.N. and other humanitarian aid, has become the centre of Yemen’s conflict. Ground troops allied to the coalition have been struggling to drive out the rebels who control it.
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Tribal leaders said the strike hit traffic, including a bus that was completely destroyed, killing everyone inside. They added that women and children were among the dead. The tribal leaders spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing for their safety.
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The death toll is expected to rise, as many of the wounded were in critical condition.
The Saudi-led coalition has been locked in a stalemate with the rebels since 2015. An estimated 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen’s conflict, which has produced what the United Nations says is the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
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