A deadly attack on a market in Yemen's Taiz governorate has set off dueling accusations. The Houthi rebels blame Saudi airstrikes, while the internationally recognized government blames Houthi missiles. Both sides say dozens of people were killed or wounded at al-Hadara market.
On Friday, the Houthis said Saudi Arabia hit the market with a trio of airstrikes that left at least 30 civilians dead and eight more hurt. The group's health and environment ministry in Sanaa called the attack a horrific crime and demanded an independent international inquiry into what it described as Riyadh's systematic targeting of civilians.
The Saudi-led coalition, which supports the government, had not responded to the allegation.
Col. Majed al-Nazili, spokesperson for government forces, gave a different account. He said the Houthis, whom he called terrorists, fired ballistic missiles at the market and caused dozens of civilian casualties. He accused the Iran-backed movement of a war crime and called for accountability.
Neither version has been independently verified.
A front line in Taiz
The market lies in al-Waziiya district, a Houthi-held area where fighting has continued. The coalition has been striking there every day in a push to seize the district and its strategic mountain range.
Government forces said they retook several places in the governorate on Friday, among them the village of al-Nidani, Shaab al-Sarari, Ribat al-Qarn in Dhi al-Barh and much of the Sanamat area. The military also said it had besieged the approaches to al-Sarari.
Although the Houthis hold much of the governorate, Taiz city remains under government control and has been encircled by Houthi fighters for 30 days, affecting hundreds of thousands of residents. The United Nations has warned repeatedly of a catastrophe there as food and medicine run short.
A widening offensive
The clashes are part of Operation Dawn of Yemen, which the government launched on October 5 to take back Houthi-held territory.
Since then, government-held areas and Saudi Arabia have both come under Houthi fire. The group has launched missiles and drones at the kingdom almost every day, striking oil installations and disrupting flights.
