Saudi-led raid mistakenly kills 8 Yemeni troops

By Murad al-Arifi

SANAA

A Saudi-led coalition airstrike mistakenly killed 8 government forces in northern Yemen late Tuesday, a local Yemeni source said.

The raid targeted a site of Yemeni border guards in Mandaba in the northern Saada province, the source said on Wednesday on condition of anonymity because he was unauthorized to speak to media.

A number of soldiers were reportedly injured in the attack.

The source said the raid had coincided with clashes between government sources and Houthi rebels in the area.

There was no comment yet from the Saudi-led coalition or Yemeni government on the attack.

Yemen has remained locked in a civil war since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including capital Sanaa, forcing Yemen’s Saudi-backed government to set up an interim capital in the coastal city of Aden.

In 2015, Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies began a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi military gains in Yemen.

According to UN figures, more than 10,000 people -- including numerous civilians -- have been killed as a direct result of the conflict.