Civilian deaths reported in Yemen, raising toll to more than 1500

The Saudi-led coalition targeting Houthi rebels in Yemen launched a series of airstrikes on Tuesday, killing more than 100 civilians, according to rebel sources. News of the latest casualties came as the United Nations announced that the number of civilians killed in three months of violence has risen above 1,500.

Coalition warplanes bombed rebel positions in and around the southern port city of Aden, targeting an intelligence headquarters and television studio, said military officials. In neighboring Lahj province, raids were also carried out against a suspected weapons depot and gathering of rebels.

The rebel-controlled Saba news agency reported that the airstrikes killed 124 civilians. Al Jazeera could not verify the account.

The fighting in Yemen pits the Houthi rebels and troops loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh against southern separatists, local and tribal militias, Sunni fighters and loyalists of President Abed Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who fled to Saudi Arabia before the war and has remained there since.

The rebels seized the capital, Sanaa, in September. In March, the Saudi-led and U.S.-backed coalition began launching airstrikes against the rebels and their allies.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said Tuesday that, between June 17 and July 3, at least 92 civilians were killed and another 179 injured.

It said that brings the total number of civilians killed since March 27 to 1,528, while 3,605 have been injured.

Al Jazeera and wire services