Airstrikes on a market in southwestern Yemen kill at least 20, Houthis say

CAIRO (AP) — Airstrikes hit a market in southwestern Yemen on Friday, killing at least 20 people, according to an official with Iran-backed Houthi rebels. It would be one of the deadliest attacks since fighting resumed between the Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces.

Another 15 people were wounded in the airstrikes on the market in al-Waziyah in the province of Taiz, a Houthi health ministry spokesperson, Anees Alsabahi, told Houthi-run TV Al Masirah. He said that the death toll was expected to rise from the airstrikes, which he blamed on the Saudi-led coalition.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a statement without providing evidence that three airstrikes hit al-Hadara market at around 7 a.m., resulting in dozens of civilian casualties. He blamed Saudi Arabia for the attacks and claimed warplanes took off from Kamis Mushait air base and left Taiz province around 8 a.m. The Associated Press couldn’t independently verify these claims.

Saudi Arabia’s information ministry didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

It wasn't immediately clear how many people were at the market at the time of the reported attack, although markets typically see an influx of shoppers on Friday afternoons following prayers.

Taiz province’s government media office, in a Facebook statement, acknowledged the attack on the busy market and said that there were casualties, but it didn't provide details on the actual toll. The authorities in Taiz blamed the Houthis for the incident and said that no airstrikes were carried out in the area.

The media office added that the “indiscriminate Houthi missile attacks,” including the use of ballistic missiles, endangers civilian lives. It said that markets and populated areas must be protected. Last month, the Houthis struck Yemeni government forces with ballistic missiles, killing at least 75 soldiers at a military camp and wounding around 200 recruits in the southern province of Shabwa. The rebels acknowledged targeting the camp at the time.

In September, Houthi rebels accused Saudi Arabia of striking a prison in the country’s north. The prison in Hazm, the Jawf provincial capital, collapsed when coalition strikes hit the area, killing at least 23 people.

In September, the Houthis ramped up their advance on Taiz, a strategic gateway to southern Yemen, after a lightning-fast capture of the port city of Mokha , an area about 130 kilometers (80 miles) away that is vital to controlling shipping through the Red Sea.

The rebels have tightened their encirclement of the city of Taiz, which is controlled by the internationally recognized Yemeni government, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation among civilians. Residents are struggling to secure drinking water and food supplies as Houthis restricted movement into the city.

In the hills surrounding Taiz, government forces are trying to repel the Houthis, but face stiff resistance, especially east of the city. Gaining control of Taiz city is vital to the Houthis if they seek to advance south toward Aden and Lahj, analysts say, but that won’t be easy, experts previously said.