Yemen conflict: Air strike kills 17 in Taiz
Updated
At least 17 civilians have been killed in Yemen's southwestern province of Taiz by a Saudi-led coalition air strike that struck a house, local officials and residents said.
Key points:
- Taiz is torn between coalition-backed forces and Shiite rebels
- Fighting has intensified in recent days
- Many families have fled their homes
The officials say that the airstrike targeted the house of a citizen named Abdullah Abdo in a southern district called al-Salw.
Taiz, the cultural centre of Yemen, has been torn between coalition-backed forces and Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, for the past year and a half.
The district that came under attack is close to the front line, and officials said that it is often difficult to distinguish rebels from government forces.
The fighting between the two sides intensified in al-Salw in recent days and many families have fled their homes.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of security concerns.
Hadi rejects UN peace deal
Yemen's President in exile turned down a UN peace deal aimed at ending the country's devastating conflict, saying it "rewards" Yemen's rebels.
The proposed peace deal gives Shiite rebels who seized the capital in 2014 and eventually forced President Abed-Rabbo Mansour Hadi out of Yemen a share in the future government.
It also reduces some of the President's powers in exchange for a rebel withdrawal from major cities.
Mr Hadi made his remarks during a visit by the UN Envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
"The Yemeni people have condemned these ideas and the so-called road map out of belief that the deal is a gateway to more suffering and war," a statement quoted Mr Hadi as saying.
Reuters/AP
Topics: unrest-conflict-and-war, territorial-disputes, terrorism, yemen
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