People shout slogans during a gathering against the Saudi-led coalition and the airstrike killing Yemeni civilians in Sanaa, Yemen on June 18, 2017. A total of 25 people were killed when a Saudi-led coalition warplane struck a popular market in Yemen's northern province of Saada, Houthi-controlled state Saba news agency reported on Sunday. The agency quoted an official as saying the airstrike happened on Saturday evening and targeted al-Mashnak popular market at the center of Shada district in Saada. (Xinhua/Mohammed Mohammed)
SANAA, June 18 (Xinhua) -- A total of 25 people were killed when a Saudi-led coalition warplane struck a popular market in Yemen's northern province of Saada, Houthi-controlled state Saba news agency reported on Sunday.
The agency quoted an official as saying the airstrike happened on Saturday evening and targeted al-Mashnak popular market at the center of Shada district in Saada.
He said the victims were customers and owners of commercial shops and several others were critically injured.
The agency gave no further details, but said it will publish pictures of the scene later on Sunday.
Saada is the main stronghold of Shiite Houthi movement and where the group's leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi is based.
This is the latest in a series of airstrikes hitting Yemeni civilians since the war began in March 2015.
Ten days ago, four members of a family were killed when Saudi-led coalition warplanes hit a house in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, according to residents and medics.
Since March 2015, the coalition has been fighting the dominant Houthi rebels, who have seized control of most of northern Yemen, including Sanaa, to restore power to the internationally recognized yet expelled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
The war has killed more than 10,000 people, half of them civilians, and displaced over two million others, according to the United Nations' humanitarian agencies.
