- Title: U.N. envoy visits site of Saudi-led strikes in rebel-held Sanaa
- Date: 24th October 2016
- Summary: SANAA, YEMEN (OCTOBER 24, 2016) (REUTERS) CONVOY OF U.N. YEMEN ENVOY ISMAIL OULD CHEIKH AHMED ARRIVES AT MOURNING HALL, SCENE OF DEADLY AIR STRIKE U.N. YEMEN ENVOY ISMAIL OULD CHEIKH AHMED GETS OUT OF CAR AND GREETS YEMENI OFFICIALS CHEIKH AHMED ENTERS DESTROYED MOURNING HALL HIT BY SAUDI COALITION AIR STRIKES MAN EXPLAINING TO CHEIKH AHMED HOW EVENTS UNFOLDED ON THE DAY OF THE AIR STRIKE, DAMAGE, RUBBLE AND DESTRUCTION FROM AIR STRIKE VARIOUS OF CHEIKH AHMED WALKING AMID THE RUBBLE IN THE DESTROYED MOURNING HALL VARIOUS OF CHEIKH AHMED LISTENING TO A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT HAPPENED THE DAY OF THE AIR STRIKE VARIOUS OF CHEIKH AHMED WALKING THROUGH DESTROYED MOURNING HALL VARIOUS OF CHEIKH AHMED LISTENING TO A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT HAPPENED THE DAY OF THE AIR STRIKE CONVOY OF CHEIKH AHMED LEAVING SITE
- Embargoed: 8th November 2016 20:13
- Keywords: Yemen Sanaa Houthi Ahmed Saleh Saudi Arabia Iran
- Location: SANAA, YEMEN
- City: SANAA, YEMEN
- Country: Yemen
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA00155D8V9F
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:The U.N. envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed on Monday (October 24) visited the site of a deadly air strike by Saudi-led forces on a mourning hall in the capital Sanaa.
The attack on October 8 killed more than 140 people and wounded more than 500, sparking international condemnation of the Saudi alliance of mainly Sunni Arab nations fighting to oust the Iran-backed Houthis from their stronghold and restore exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power.
Cheikh Ahmed arrived in Sanaa on Sunday (October 23), just hours after a three-day truce expired and Saudi-led coalition war planes resumed air strikes on the capital.
The ceasefire was agreed to allow for an increased flow of humanitarian aid. It ended without renewal after a day of heavy fighting between the Saudi-led Arab coalition and the Iran-allied Houthi movement.
The United Nations and diplomats had hoped a pause in the conflict would pave the way for talks to end a 19-month-old war which has killed at least 10,000 people.
Speaking to reporters after arriving at Sanaa airport, Cheikh Ahmed said he would hold discussions with the Houthis and their allies in the General People's Congress, the party of former president Saleh.
He said he also plans to discuss renewing the ceasefire to allow for the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid across the country.
Cheikh Ahmed walked through the site of the air strike, amid the rubble and destruction as he listened to officials describing the attack.
The Saudi-led coalition said they attacked the funeral after receiving incorrect information from Yemeni military officials that armed Houthi leaders were in the area.
Mourners who died in the attack included some of Yemen's top political and security officials.
A statement released by the coalition on the results of an investigation into the attack said that the coalition's Air Operations Centre in Yemen also failed to obtain approval for the strike from commanders, a violation of protocol. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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