Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Yemen officials: Saudi airstrike kills 12 troops by mistake

This Aug. 7, 2018 photo shows the desicated carcass of a cow near a destroyed car on a road in Shabwa, Yemen. (Nariman El-Mofty / AP) This Aug. 7, 2018 photo shows the desicated carcass of a cow near a destroyed car on a road in Shabwa, Yemen. (Nariman El-Mofty / AP)
Share
SANAA, Yemen -

An airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition has mistakenly hit a camp of allied Yemeni pro-government forces, killing at least 12 troops, Yemeni military officials said Friday.

The strike, which took place on Thursday in the province of Shabwa, also wounded at least eight Yemeni troops, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

There was no immediate comment from the Saudi-led coalition, an ally of the forces of Yemen's internationally recognized government. Turki al-Maliki, a coalition spokesman, did not respond to numerous calls and messages from The Associated Press seeking comment.

Yemen has been torn by civil war since 2014, when Iran-backed Houthi rebels overran the capital of Sanaa and much of the country's north. In 2015, the Saudi-led coalition intervened to halt the rebels and restore the internationally recognized government to power. However, the war has slogged on for years and created the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

At the scene of the strike, several bodies were burned and three military vehicles, some of which carried automatic rifles, were destroyed, said two local residents who asked not to be identified by name, fearing reprisal.

Friendly fire incidents where Saudi-led coalition airstrikes have hit allied ground forces have happened on occasion during Yemen's conflict.

In the past months, fighting has escalated between the Houthis and Yemeni government forces around the central city of Marib and the coastal city of Hodeida. The coalition has also increased its airstrikes on Sanaa and other rebel-held areas in Yemen in recent weeks.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

A six-year-old boy from northeastern Manitoba who had been missing since last Wednesday has been found dead.

Toronto police have released video footage of a suspect who allegedly stole a taxi in the city’s downtown core over the weekend.

A new charter challenge set to get underway on Monday will test the constitutionality of a controversial Ontario law that allows hospitals to place discharged patients into long-term care homes not of their choosing or face a $400-per-day charge if they refuse.

Local Spotlight

A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

A Nova Scotian YouTuber has launched a mini-truck bookmobile.

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.