U.N. chief Antonio Guterres on Saturday condemned an exchange of attacks between Yemen’s Houthi rebels and the Saudi-led coalition, calling for “restraint” on all sides in the seven-year conflict.
“The Secretary-General strongly condemns the recent escalation of the conflict in Yemen,” U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement Saturday.
The wave of rebel assaults included an attack at an oil plant that set off a huge fire near Jeddah’s Formula One circuit during televised practice sessions on Friday.
In response, the Saudi-led coalition launched air strikes on the capital Sanaa and the port city of Hodeida — a key entry point for humanitarian aid — early Saturday. The strikes on Sanaa reportedly killed eight civilians, the U.N. statement said.
The exchange of fire came ahead of the seventh anniversary of a Saudi-led coalition’s military intervention to support Yemen’s government against the Iran-backed Houthis, after they seized Sanaa in 2014. (AFP)