Saudi-Led Coalition Strike Kills Nine Members of Yemeni Family

Nine members of the al-Qahm family, including five children under the age of 10, died when a Saudi-led military coalition airstrike destroyed their home in Saada, northern Yemen, on October 18, according to relatives who witnessed the attack.

The bombing struck while family members were at home, burying at least 28 people beneath the collapsed building, according to Yousef al-Qahm. He had left a family lunch shortly before the fighter jet attacked the property.

Yousef al-Qahm and his relative Mohammed al-Qahm confirmed the nine deaths in separate accounts. Their statements were corroborated by a casualty list supplied by the Houthi-affiliated health ministry.

Video footage examined by The New York Times and reviewed by munitions experts indicated that the aircraft may have used a U.S.-supplied 500-pound bomb. The available evidence also helped reconstruct the circumstances surrounding the attack.

The October 18 bombing was the second strike against the same family home within two days, according to witness accounts and footage documenting the aftermath.

The attack occurred amid renewed large-scale fighting between the Saudi-led coalition and Yemen's Houthi movement, an Iran-backed militia that controls northern parts of the country. The conflict escalated again last month, bringing further allegations of civilian deaths.

Houthi officials have accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out thousands of airstrikes across Yemen since the fighting intensified. They have also alleged that the campaign has killed scores of civilians.

Saudi officials have disclosed limited information about the military operation. The coalition describes its campaign as an effort to restore Yemen's internationally recognized government.

Independent verification of casualties and damage in Houthi-controlled areas remains difficult. The intensifying conflict has complicated access, while Houthi authorities require journalists to obtain permits before visiting locations targeted by airstrikes.

The New York Times reconstructed the attack on the al-Qahm residence using interviews with witnesses and recordings from the aftermath. The combination of eyewitness accounts, casualty records and visual evidence provided details about the deaths and destruction at the site.