A helicopter gunship belonging to the Saudi-led coalition targeting Yemen's Shiite rebels hit a truck in the country's north early on Thursday, killing nine people travelling in the vehicle, Yemeni security and military officials said.
The attack came on the second of a five-day humanitarian cease-fire that began nearly seven weeks after the coalition began airstrikes against the rebels, known as Houthis, and their allies.
The officials said the attack took place in the northern Saada province, which is a stronghold of the Iran-backed rebels and the birthplace of their political movement, Ansar Allah.
The officials say the truck was suspected of carrying rebel weapons. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to speak to the media. The Houthis last year captured Yemen's capital, Sanaa, and much of the country's north before they began marching on the south of the country. Also on Thursday, coalition warplanes flew over Sanaa, Saada and the port cities of Aden and Hodeida in what appeared to be reconnaissance flights, said the officials.
Saudi Arabia and its mostly Sunni Arab partners began the air campaign on March 26.
Yemen recalls envoy from Tehran: official
Yemen’s government in exile said on Thursday it was recalling the head of its embassy in Iran, accusing Tehran of “interference in our affairs and support for the Huthis” rebelling against authorities. “The legitimate government of Yemen is recalling charge d’affaires Abdullah al-Sirri,” the office of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi said.