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All sides to Yemen conflict told to properly probe civilian casualties

Xinhua, April 15, 2015 Adjust font size:

The UN high commissioner for human rights, Zeid Al Hussein, on Tuesday reminded all sides to the conflict in Yemen to ensure that attacks resulting in civilian casualties are promptly investigated and that international human rights and international humanitarian law are scrupulously respected.

"The high commissioner said that such a heavy civilian death toll ought to be a clear indication to all parties to this conflict and that there may be serious problems in the conduct of hostilities," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here.

In addition to hundreds of fighters, at least 364 civilians are reported to have lost their lives since March 26, including at least 84 children and 25 women, the spokesman said.

"The high commissioner also warned that the intentional targeting of civilians not taking direct part in hostilities would amount to a war crime," Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here.

Yemen has been mired in political gridlock since 2011 when mass protests forced former President Ali Abdullash Saleh to step down.

The three-year reconciliation talks failed to resolve the crisis but create huge power vacuum that could benefit the powerful al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula and other extremist groups. Endite