Yemen

80 dead in air raid on civilian camp

Article published on the 2009-09-17 Latest update 2009-09-17 14:11 TU

A woman displaced by the ongoing hostilities in northwestern Yemen cooks outside her tent in al-Mazraq refugee camp near the Saada province.
(Photo: Reuters)

At least 80 people were killed Thursday in a Yemeni air force raid on a displaced-persons camp in the north of Yemen, as the government continued its offensive against Shiite rebels.

Witnesses say that the majority of the victims were women and children, though this could not be independently confirmed.

"The jet fighter targeted Huthi (rebels) who were firing (while hiding) among the displaced people," a Yemeni official told French news agency AFP.

A rebel statement condemned the attack, accusing the Sanaa government, which has vowed to crush the five-year-old rebellion, of thirsting for blood.

"The bloodthirsty authorities have committed a new massacre," said a statement issued by the Huthi rebels.

New York-based NGO Human Rights Watch urged the Yemeni government to "promptly and impartially investigate responsibility for any attacks on civilians."

In a statement it also urged all parties to the armed conflict in the region to "respect the prohibition under international law against targeting civilians."

There has been no reliable source for the death toll of the current fighting.