Yemen war
© Khaled Abdullah / Reuters
A series of airstrikes has hit a wedding party in south-western Yemen, killing between 30 and 70 people, according to varying reports. Dozens have been injured. The Saudi-led coalition has denied that it carried out the bombing.

Celebrations were underway inside two tents, which were hit in two separate airstrikes, according to AP, citing Yemeni security officials. They said at least 38 people were killed and 40 injured.

Press-TV, citing Yemen's al-Masirah news channel, put the death toll at 75. A local source told France 24, that at least 70 people had been killed.

Witnesses spoke of having seen mutilated bodies sprawled on the ground after the attack. Many of the dead appear to have been women and children.

A senior official in the Yemeni government told AP that attack was conducted by a Saudi-led coalition which struck the wedding by "mistake."

The coalition rejected the accusations saying that it did not carry out any airstrikes in the region.

"There have been no air operations by the coalition in that area for three days. This is totally false news," Coalition spokesman Brigadier-General Ahmed al-Asseri told Reuters.

"The coalition knows its responsibility and will always acknowledge a mistake if we make it. Take into consideration the chaotic situation in Yemen, with several armed elements and forces active around the country. Also, people sometimes cannot distinguish between canon, mortar and Katyusha (multiple launch rocket systems)," he added.


Comment: As opposed to airstrikes? That would be hard to mistake.


The incident comes just a day after Saudi-led coalition helicopters reportedly killed more than 30 people - primarily civilians - in a northern Yemeni village.

The Saudi-led coalition launched its anti-Houthi campaign in March, 2015, after the "Ansar Allah" Houthi movement captured huge territories in Yemen including the capital of Sana'a and the country's second largest city, Aden. Official UN figures illustrate that almost 4,900 people have been killed since Saudi forces began their bombardment of Yemen.