Dozens killed as airstrike hits school buses in Yemen
Sana'a, Aug 9: Dozens of people were killed and injured as an airstrike hit buses carrying children in northern Yemen on Thursday, according to the Yemeni branch of the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC).
The school buses was targeted as they were was passing through a market in the rebel-held province of Saada, according to the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV.
"Scores killed, even more injured, most under the age of 10. @ICRC_ye sending additional supplies to hospitals to cope with the influx," Johannes Bruwer, the head of the ICRC delegation in Yemen, wrote on Twitter.
The humanitarian organization said that the victims had been taken to one of the hospitals it supports in Sa'ada, located 230 kilometres to the north of the capital.
A spokesman for the Health Ministry of the Houthi rebel-controlled government, Yusef al-Hadari, said that the children were on their way to an educational summer camp organized by the Ministry for Islamic Affairs and that three buses had been targeted in the bombing.
Houthi media aired gruesome footage appearing to show the bodies of children. Other footage showed a young boy being escorted to a hospital, with blood all over his face.
CNN quoted witnesses as saying that the attack could be heard from neighbouring districts.
A military coalition led by Saudi Arabia has been carrying out airstrikes since 2015 against Houthi positions -- causing thousands of civilian deaths in the process, according to war monitors -- in an attempt to restore the internationally-recognized government of President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi.
The UN, the EU and numerous humanitarian organizations warned that the consequences of the Saudi-led intervention, such as a famine threatening almost 18 million people or a cholera outbreak infecting hundreds of thousands, reached the level of a humanitarian "catastrophe".
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Karnataka: Home Department asks motorists to drive on highways with caution to avoid robbery
Belagavi: The Home Department has advised motorists to stay alert while travelling on national and state highways, warning that gangs involved in robbery and extortion have been active in several stretches. It said people should be extra cautious if anyone tries to stop their vehicle in isolated areas.
Replying to an unstarred question on Thursday, the department said Karnataka has recorded 403 highway robbery cases in the past three years. According to the data, national highways saw 81 extortion and 23 robbery cases in 2023, followed by 66 extortion and 16 robbery cases in 2024. Until November 15 this year, 51 extortion and 14 robbery cases have been reported.
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On state highways, 39 extortion and 17 robberies were reported in 2023, while 2024 saw 35 extortion and 22 robbery cases. In 2025 so far, 20 extortion and 19 robbery cases have taken place. The department noted that curbing highway robberies remains a major challenge for the police.
To tackle the issue, police stations have been directed to set up regular checkpoints on stretches of highways passing through their limits. Suspicious individuals and vehicles are being checked. Two-wheelers have been allocated to every station for night patrol, and staff have been instructed to conduct night rounds using vehicles fitted with sirens and red lights.
