Airstrike in Yemen kills dozens at hotel

An airstrike blamed on a Saudi-led coalition has killed at least 48 people at a hotel on the outskirts of the capital, officials in Yemen said Wednesday.

Ali Al-Asimi, a senior security official in Sanaa, said the coalition conducted the attack. Most of the dead at the hotel were merchants, he said.

Saudi officials were not immediately available for comment.

The strike was one of two dozen in the country, according to the Health Ministry. At least 26 people were reported injured.

Saudi Arabia has been leading a coalition of Arab states against Iran-backed Houthi militants, who toppled the internationally recognized leadership in Yemen. As the coalition and rebel groups bombard one another, terror groups operate unhindered and civilians are caught in the crossfire.

Mohammed al-Sarhi, a farmer, told CNN that most of those killed at the hotel were buried under rubble and died while sleeping.

Yemen's Interior Ministry said seven Houthi fighters died in coalition airstrikes at other locations at the capital.