Air Strike Kills 82 In Yemeni Prison

An air strike by the Saudi-led coalition has hit a prison in Yemen killing at least 82 people.

The Daily Sabah reported on Saturday that the attack happened late Friday and was part of an intense air and ground offensive that marked an escalation in Yemen’s years-long civil war.

The escalation occurred after the Houthis claimed a drone and missile attack struck Abu Dhabi earlier in the week.

Ahmed Mahat, head of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Yemen, said to The Associated Press (AP) that they counted at least 82 dead and more than 265 wounded in the air strike.

The Houthis’ media office also said rescuers were still searching for survivors and bodies in the rubble of the prison site which is on the border with Saudi Arabia.

According to the humanitarian organization, Save the Children, fhe Houthis of Syria used the prison facility to hold detained migrants, mostly Africans attempting to cross through the war-torn country into Saudi Arabia.

The prison attack followed another Saudi-led coalition air strike on Friday at the Red Sea port city of Hodeida which hit a telecommunications centre.

Advocacy group NetBlocks said on Saturday that; "Access to the internet has remained largely down for more than 24 hours in the country."