Yemen government and Houthis blame each other for deadly Taiz market attack as toll disputed
Yemen’s internationally recognised government and Houthi rebels are trading blame for a deadly strike on al-Hadara market in Taiz governorate’s al-Waziiya district, an attack both sides say killed and injured dozens of civilians. Al Jazeera could not independently verify either account.
Houthi sources said Friday that Saudi Arabia, which backs the recognised government, launched three air strikes on the market, killing at least 30 civilians and wounding eight. The Houthi Ministry of Health and Environment in Sanaa called the assault a “horrific crime” and demanded an independent international investigation into what it described as Saudi Arabia’s systematic targeting of civilians. The Saudi-led coalition had not responded. Government forces spokesperson Colonel Majed al-Nazili said the Houthis, whom he called terrorists, hit the market with ballistic missiles, causing dozens of civilian casualties he labelled a war crime, and he demanded accountability. The Iran-backed group is also known as Ansar Allah.
Al Jazeera’s Yousef Mawry, reporting from Sanaa, said fighting has been ongoing in Houthi-controlled al-Waziiya, where the Saudi-led coalition attacks daily to seize the district and its mountain range. Control of the district, he said, means control of most of the western Red Sea coast. The Yemeni army said it recaptured several areas in Taiz on Friday, including al-Nidani village, Shaab al-Sarari, large parts of Sanamat and Ribat al-Qarn in Dhi al-Barh, and that government forces besieged entrances to al-Sarari. Houthis hold much of the governorate while Taiz city remains government-held; a 30-day Houthi siege has hit hundreds of thousands, with the United Nations warning of scarce food and medicine. Operation Dawn of Yemen began on October 5 to retake Houthi territory; Houthis have since fired missiles and drones daily into Saudi Arabia, striking oil facilities and disrupting air traffic.
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