ADEN: At least 22 people were killed Thursday in Yemen as fighting raged in the southern port of Aden and Saudi-led warplanes bombed Shiite rebels in Sanaa, military officials and medics said.
The violence came a day after the UN declared its highest level of humanitarian emergency in the country, where it says some 3,000 people, half of them civilians, have been killed since March.
And the UN cultural agency UNESCO said Thursday that two ancient Yemeni cities on its World Heritage sites list are in danger because of the violence.
The clashes in Aden erupted at dawn in northern part of the port city, killing seven rebels and five pro-government fighters, a military officials said. Two civilians were also killed in rebel shelling of a western district early Thursday that also damaged several homes, residents said.
Meanwhile, a port near the Aden oil refinery came under rebel artillery fire for a fifth consecutive day Thursday, as a fire continued in the area, said Aden Refinery Co. spokesman Naser Al-Shayef.
In Sanaa, warplanes pounded several positions of the Houthi rebels around midday Thursday, residents reported.
Clashes rock Yemen as UN raises emergency level
Clashes rock Yemen as UN raises emergency level
