105 Killed as Pro-Saudi Forces Declare Victory in Yemen’s Taiz

Medical Officials Say Most Slain in Saudi Airstrikes

by Jason Ditz,

Heavy fighting that erupted on Friday in Yemen’s city of Taiz carried on into Saturday,leaving at least 105 people dead and a number of others wounded, as pro-Saudi officials claimed total victory in the city, at least for the time being.

57 people were reported killed by Friday evening, and an additional 48 were slain after that. Local medical officials said virtually everyone was killed in a 24-hour period, and the vast majority were slain by Saudi airstrikes.

Despite the claim of victory, officials were also predictinganother round of fighting around the Taiz airport and the city’s southeast, while the Houthis insisted they merely had a tactical withdrawal to try to avoid the airstrikes.

At least six civilians were among the slain, and potentially more, though the reports on who exactly died in the overnight airstrikes have yet to be made public. Saudi officials have attempted to blame the Houthis for civilian deaths in Taiz.

http://news.antiwar.com/2016/03/13/105-killed-as-pro-saudi-forces-declare-victory-in-yemens-taiz/