Saudi-led airstrike kills displaced Yemeni civilians

An airstrike Tuesday by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen killed at least 20 civilians, government officials and the United Nations refugee agency confirmed. The afternoon air raid struck a group of internally displaced civilians in the village of al-Atera in the southwestern province of Taiz, according to the UNHCR. The agency said several of the causalities came from the same family, and other injured survivors have been taken to hospitals for treatment. Fighting between government forces and Houthi rebels has intensified in Taiz province. Yemen’s human rights minister, Mohammed Askar, described the attack as an “unfortunate incident,” and called for a government investigation. UNHCR said in a statement it was shocked and saddened by the killings, which demonstrate “the extreme dangers facing civilians in Yemen.” International rights groups have repeatedly accused the Saudi-led coalition battling the Houthi rebels of killing civilians in airstrikes that hit markets, civilian gatherings, and residential areas. An airstrike last month killed 24 civilians when it struck a market in the rebel-controlled Saada province.