33 Somali refugees killed in airstrike on boat off Yemen

At least 33 Somali refugees were killed and 29 others wounded when a total of 150 refugees traveling in a boat off the Yemeni coast came under an air attack, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) office in Sanaa said on Friday.


The ICRC "is shocked by last night's attack on a civilian ship carrying around 150 passengers, including women and children, near the port of Hodeida," it said in an emailed statement.

The attack left 33 dead and 29 wounded, while other passengers are either still missing or under the care of local authorities, the ICRC said.

"It was a heartbreaking scene. I saw many men, women and children either killed or horribly wounded," said Eric Christopher Wyss from the ICRC.

"Survivors told us that many of the passengers were refugees from Somalia or Yemen, fleeing conflict," he added.

Houthi-controlled Saba news agency reported that the Somali refugees came under an air attack late night of Thursday, blaming a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia which is having tight control of the Red Sea and the Strait of Bab al-Mandeb off the western Yemeni coasts.

There was no comment by the coalition forces yet.
  [globaltimes.cn/China]
18/3/17