Photo by Yahya Arhab/EPA
Fighter jets from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) bombed multiple sites in Yemen on Sunday in a series of airstrikes that came after dozens of soldiers from the Saudi-led coalition were killed by a rebel missile attack on Friday.At least 20 people were reported killed during a wake in northern Yemen after Saudi jets hit the area, local tribesmen told Reuters. The wake was reportedly for a man killed by Houthi rebels, and the strike was believed to be accidental.Other targets included a university now used as a Houthi base in the Yemen's capital Sanaa, a major highway, and troops still loyal to the former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, an ally of the Houthis. Several buildings in the capital reportedly crumbled after being hit. One of the buildings affected by the strikes was the al-Sabeen Maternity and Children's Hospital, which reportedly asked for help from international aid organizations to evacuate patients. Two deaths were reported in Sanaa after the airstrikes.Related: Emails Show the FBI and JSOC Discussing an American Blogger Later Killed by the USVideo posted on social media appeared to show people running and driving away on the highway into Sanaa as jet planes launched missiles at the road. Another video showed the attack on Iman University in Sanaa.Dozens of soldiers from the Saudi-led coalition were reportedly killed on Sunday when a missile hit an arms depot triggering a huge explosion in Yemen's Marib province. At least 45 troops from the UAE were killed in the blast, according to the AFP. Another 10 Saudi soldiers and five Bahraini troops were also reported killed.Related: Islamic State Claims Responsibility for Deadly Bomb Attack on Yemeni Mosque
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The causalities were the heaviest losses suffered by the Saudi-led coalition since they started the campaign to drive out Houthi rebels from Yemen and reinstate President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who fled after rebels took over large portions of the country.Reuters contributed to this report.