Yemen: Red Cross worker killed in air strike

The International Red Cross reports that a worker was killed in an air strike yesterday (June 20) while on a humanitarian mission in southern Yemen. The Yemeni national Hussein Saleh was traveling with three other workers in the north of Abyan province.

Unfortunately the group were in an unmarked vehicle. Government forces are battling Al Qaeda militants in the area.

According to military officials three militants were killed and 4 injured  in an air strike against two cars in the same general area. It is not clear if this is part of the same incident in which the Red Cross worker was killed. Air strikes that are often claimed to be by Yemeni forces can be US. drone or other strikes. U.S. Special Forces are involved in directing some operations.

In Geneva a Red Cross spokesperson said:“The circumstances are still unclear,” Saleh was married with four children and his wife was pregnant. The spokesman said:“He was a very motivated and devoted staff member. He played a tremendously crucial role within his team helping hundreds of thousands of people in the south, and lost his life while performing humanitarian work.” For more see this article.