Pillay calls for Yemeni air raid probe

NEW YORK, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said Friday the Yemeni government should investigate air raids in which civilians died.

The United Nations official said Yemeni officials should investigate Wednesday's air raids in northern Yemen, which resulted in the deaths of dozens of internally displaced individuals, in order to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future, a U.N. release said.

"The government should launch a full-fledged investigation into what went wrong, and take immediate measures to try to ensure we do not see a further avoidable tragedy of this nature," Pillay said.

Meanwhile, a U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees representative said in Switzerland Friday that civilians are still at risk in Yemen as government forces battle al-Houthi rebels.

"Most of the displaced are stranded and dangerously exposed to the fighting as they are unable to reach safer areas," UNHCR representative Melissa Fleming said of the conflict that began Aug. 12.