9 civilians killed in Yemen airstrikes

SANAA: Nine civilians were killed in overnight air strikes east of Yemen´s third city of Taez, a medic and rebel forces said Saturday.

Two children were among the nine killed in air strikes by a Saudi-led military coalition fighting on the side of the government, a doctor at Al-Thawra hospital told AFP.

The doctor, who requested anonymity, said a number of other people were wounded. The Huthi rebels said the coalition targeted a petrol station in Taez province, according to the rebel-run Saba news agency.

The city of Taez is under siege by the Iran-aligned Huthi rebels but controlled by pro-government forces, who are supported by the military coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Yemen´s four-year conflict has triggered what the UN terms the world´s worst humanitarian crisis, with over 24 million people, more than two-thirds of the population, in need of aid. Tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have been killed.