Local Editor

A Saudi-led airstrike hit a wedding party in Yemen’s province of Ta’izz on Monday, killing at least 131 people in one of the deadliest attacks on civilians in Saudi Arabia’s unabated military aggression on Yemen that drew strong condemnation from the United Nations [UN] Secretary-General.

The Saudi-led air raid struck two tents of a wedding party in Wahijah village in Taiz governorate, killing at 131 civilians and injuring several other people. 

Witnesses spoke of having seen mutilated bodies sprawled on the ground after the attack. Many of the dead appear to have been women and children.

Rescue teams and ambulances continued to work amid great difficulties due to lack of possibilities and needed fuel.

Yet, the Saudi-led coalition that has been bombing in Yemen for six months denied responsibility for the attack.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the high death toll at the wedding event and warned that any intentional attack on civilians violates international law and must be investigated.

Furthermore, the UN and international rights groups have expressed alarm at the escalating number of civilian deaths in Yemen - at least 2,355 civilians killed from the end of March to Sept. 24, according to figures released by the UN human rights office on Tuesday. However, other organizations put the death toll at much higher.

The agency’s latest count, which dates to Sept. 24, does not include casualties from the recent Saudi-led air strike on the wedding party in Taiz.

Since March 26, a Saudi-led coalition backed by the United States has been carrying out a military aggression on Yemen by launching airstrikes against the country. The airstrikes have not been authorized by the United Nations [UN]. 

The military aggression has resulted in several mass killings of civilians.