The death toll from an airstrike on a wedding party in Yemen on Monday has risen to at least 131, the United Nations and local medics say.
Missiles reportedly hit two tents in a village near the Red Sea port of Mocha, where a wedding was taking place, BBC reports.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the disregard for human life in Yemen.
But coalition spokesman Brig.-Gen. Ahmed al-Asiri told Reuters, “There have been no air operations by the coalition in that area for three days. This is totally false news.
“The coalition knows its responsibility and will always acknowledge a mistake if we make it. Take into consideration the chaotic situation in Yemen, with several armed elements and forces active around the country. Also, people sometimes cannot distinguish between canon, mortar and Katyusha [missiles].”
Meanwhile, the US ambassador to the top UN rights body said the United States supports Dutch efforts to create an international fact-finding mission on human rights abuses in war-torn Yemen, setting the stage for tough diplomatic negotiation on the issue with Saudi Arabia and other Arab states in coming days.
The Dutch proposal to the UN Human Rights Council could expose abuses on all sides of the war.
The Dutch want the office of UN Human Rights chief Zeid Raad al-Hussein to send a mission to report on possible abuses and conflict-related crimes in Yemen.
The council has no power to compel countries to act, but its actions can shine a spotlight on human rights violations.
