At least 6 killed in coalition airstrike

At least six family members were killed in an airstrike by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition that hit a house in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Thursday, Xinhua News Agency reported, citing authorities and witnesses.

More than 30 others were wounded in the airstrike, the rebel-controlled Health Ministry said in a statement, adding that the death toll could rise as many injured remain in critical condition.

"A father, mother and their four children were killed after the coalition airstrike hit the family house this morning," said a witness named Amat al-Malik Abdullah.

The house is located in the Rabat neighborhood at the center of Sanaa.

All houses in the neighborhood were badly damaged. Rescuers said they were still searching for possible survivors from under the rubble.

Earlier on Thursday, the Saudi-led coalition aligned with the government announced the launch of a military operation against Houthi targets in Yemen, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV reported, Reuters reported.

The sorties achieved their goals "with full precision," the coalition said in a statement. It had urged civilians to avoid those targets.

The United Arab Emirates said on Wednesday that the Western-backed coalition, of which it is a main member, would "retaliate hard" for any Houthi attacks on coalition targets, Reuters reported.

The operation came after the Houthis launched armed drones on Tuesday against two Saudi oil pump stations. Saudi Arabia said the attacks did not disrupt output or exports.

The Saudi-led coalition has been intervening in the civil war in Yemen since 2015, fighting against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels who seized Yemen's northern provinces, including the capital of Sanaa.

Xinhua and Agencies