Air strikes kill 15 civilians in Yemen

15 Dec, 2015

DUBAI: Air strikes by an Arab coalition targeting Yemen's militants killed at least 15 people late on Monday, residents said, hours before a ceasefire was due to take effect to pave the way for UN-sponsored peace talks in Switzerland.

Residents said war planes launched two raids on the village of Bani al-Haddad, in the northern Hajjah province on the border with Saudi Arabia, killing 13 people and wounding 20 others.

Two more residents died while medics were trying to evacuate them, they said.

A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition could not be reached for immediate comment but the alliance says it does not target civilians.

The coalition has said that the ceasefire requested by Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to facilitate the planned peace talks in Switzerland would start at noon local time (0900 GMT) on Tuesday.

Copyright Reuters, 2015

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