At least 70 killed at Yemen wedding following Saudi-led coalition raid

A Saudi-led coalition airstrike hit a wedding in southwest Yemen on Monday, killing at least 70 people including children, medics and witnesses said.

"The bodies of 31 people, including children, have been taken to a hospital in Mokha city," a medical source said, adding that dozens more were wounded in the bombardment of a wedding hall in the Red Sea city.

Most of the wounded are in serious conditions, the medic said.

Witnesses reported that warplanes struck the wedding hall in Mokha, which is controlled by Houthis. Social media users said air strikes hit the women's tent at the celebration, a claim that could not be immediately verified.

The attack on the wedding comes a day after residents in two villages - Bani Zela and Zaylaa - near Yemen's border with Saudi Arabi said coalition strikes on Sunday had killed more than 50 people.

A local in Bani Zela told Reuters that civilians were pursued by coalition helicopters as they fled their homes.

An anonymous Saudi source in the New York Times was quoted on Monday, saying they denied their involvement in the attacks.

The Saudi-led coalition launched an air campaign against the Houthis in late March in support of embattled President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, who fled to Riyadh.

In the past, air strikes have hit non-military areas, drawing criticism from rights groups.

In late August, an air raid hit a bottled-water factory in the northern Hajja province, killing 17 civilians and 14 rebels. 

A similar strike in July at the residences of employees of a power plant in Mokha killed 65 civilians.   

Another attack on a dairy plant in the Red Sea port city of Hodeida in April left 35 civilians dead.