Yemen: 35 killed in air strikes that hits hotel in Sanaa; Saudi coalition forces blamed

At least 35 people were killed in air strikes that hit a hotel near a Houthi-controlled checkpoint north of the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Wednesday, a medic and a Houthi-run television station said, blaming the attack on Saudi-led coalition forces.

The roof of the hotel collapsed, leaving at least two bodies dangling from the building in the Arhab area, about 20 km (13 miles) from Sanaa, a Reuters witness said.

Al-Masira TV, which is run by the Houthi armed movement that controls northern Yemen, quoted the Sanaa governorate as saying that the death toll from the attack had risen to at least 46 “martyrs”. It did not immediately make a direct reference to civilians or fighters.

Air raids on outskirts of Yemen capital kill “at least 30” https://t.co/1Ge83KjtV7 pic.twitter.com/ypuo6OCNap

— AFP news agency (@AFP) August 23, 2017

A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, which is fighting the Iranian-allied Houthis in Yemen, said the alliance was collecting information on the incident, without elaborating.

Yehia Hussein, an emergency worker in the Houthi-controlled area, said “Saudi-American aggressors” had targeted the hotel, which had been hosting around 100 people.

Medics had found 35 corpses as well as body parts, he said. “There …read more