24 civilians killed in Yemen air strike

At least 24 civilians were killed in an air raid on a market in northern Yemen on Sunday, a medical official and witnesses said, blaming the Saudi-led coalition battling Yemeni rebels.

Most of the casualties worked in the Mashnaq market in the rebel-controlled Saada province on the Saudi border.

Witnesses said the market was a centre for trafficking in qat, a leafy stimulant plant that is widely used in Yemen but illegal in Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi-led Arab military coalition has been accused of air strikes in Yemen for more than two years against areas controlled by the Shia Houthi rebels. AFP