HRW demands probe into Yemeni airstrike

NEW YORK, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- The Yemeni government should conduct an immediate investigation into the circumstances surrounding an airstrike on civilians, Human Rights Watch said.

Witnesses to the attack told the Dialogue Foundation, a Yemeni human rights group, that Yemeni military aircraft conducted four raids on targets Thursday, shelling displaced persons seeking refuge in an area school.

Reports suggest as many as 87 people, mostly women, children and the elderly, were killed in the attacks in Amran province.

"The Yemeni government should be investigating what may have been a horrific attack on civilians," said Joe Stork, the deputy Middle East director for Human Rights Watch. "Civilians should never be attacked."

Human Rights Watch says witnesses to the attack said there were no armed clashes or rebel forces in the region. Clashes, however, were reported in nearby areas between government forces and al-Houthi guerrilla forces.

HRW added eyewitnesses noted many of the displaced were carrying automatic rifles, though that practice is relatively common in the region.

The Yemeni government launched a major offensive against al-Houthi rebels in August. Relief organizations and the United Nations say the conflict has created a humanitarian disaster in the region.

HRW said it was "extremely concerned" about the situation in north Yemen, noting the rising number of those displaced by the conflict.