Saudi Airstrikes Against Yemeni City of Taiz Kill at Least 65 Civilians

Attack One of the Single Deadliest Since the Beginning of Yemen War

by Jason Ditz

Adding to the massive controversy surrounding Saudi Arabia’s war with Yemen, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has confirmed today that a series of Saudi airstrikes against the central Yemeni city of Taiz has killed at least 65 civilians, including 17 from a single family.

Witnesses say the airstrikes began about 9:30 last night and continued into the morning. 17 buildings in the Sala District were destroyed, and civilians spent most of the day digging through the rubble looking for survivors of what would be among the deadliest Saudi attacks since the March war began.

Pro-Saudi forces have been trying to conquer Taiz all week, and MSF reported that 923 people have been wounded in just the last three days from the violence in the area. Only 7 of Taiz’s 21 hospitals are open, and they are all totally overwhelmed by the crisis, not to mention out of a lot of medication after months of naval blockade.

Taiz is Yemen’s third largest city, after the capital of Sanaa and the southern port of Aden. Sanaa is under control of the Shi’ite Houthis, while pro-Saudi fighters control Aden, and Taiz lies between the two, making it an inevitable site of contention.

http://news.antiwar.com/2015/08/21/saudi-airstrikes-against-yemeni-city-of-taiz-kill-at-least-65-civilians/