Politics1 min read

Houthis and Yemeni government blame each other for Taiz market attack that killed 30

By · Via Middle East Eye · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The blast in Houthi-held territory left 30 people dead and eight wounded as emergency workers scoured the debris for victims. While Houthi officials claimed Saudi aircraft dispatched from Khamis Mushait base struck the market, the internationally recognized government stated that indiscriminate Houthi ballistic missiles caused the carnage. The violence coincided with a shifting frontline, as Yemeni government forces reported recapturing several areas across the province that same day.

Key points

  • Conflicting narratives from both factions hinder independent verification of responsibili…: Conflicting narratives from both factions hinder independent verification of responsibility for the deadly market attack.
  • Taiz remains an intensely contested battleground due to its strategic position near the B…: Taiz remains an intensely contested battleground due to its strategic position near the Bab al-Mandab shipping lane.
  • Government forces continue actively pushing frontlines, claiming territorial gains in Tai…: Government forces continue actively pushing frontlines, claiming territorial gains in Taiz on the day of the incident.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Yemen’s Houthis and the internationally recognised government have blamed each other for a deadly attack on a market in Taiz province earlier on Friday.

The Houthis said Saudi aircraft carried out the strikes, while the government accused the group of firing a ballistic missile at the market and called the attack a “war crime”.

“Saudi enemy aircraft targeted the market in Al-Waziya city with several strikes,” Houthi health ministry spokesman Anis al-Asbahi said, according to the Houthi-run Saba news agency.

The group’s military spokesman, Yahya Saree, said the aircraft had taken off from Saudi Arabia’s Khamis Mushait base.

Meanwhile, local authorities in Taiz blamed “indiscriminate Houthi missile fire” and denied that any air strikes had taken place.

The Houthi health ministry put the toll at 30 dead and eight wounded, and said rescue teams were still searching for bodies under the rubble at the market, which lies in a Houthi-held area of the province.

Government forces said on Friday that they had recaptured several areas of Taiz from the Houthis. The province lies near the Bab al-Mandab strait, a key…

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