Yemen's internationally recognized government and Houthi forces on Friday each blamed the other for a strike on a crowded market in Taiz governorate that both sides said killed at least 30 people and wounded eight^1,2,3.

The Houthis said Saudi aircraft, backing the government, hit al-Hadara market in the Houthi-held al-Waziiya, or Waziyah, district^1,2. Houthi health officials in Sanaa said Riyadh carried out a "horrific crime" and called for an independent international investigation¹.

Houthi health spokesman Anis al-Asbahi, cited by Houthi-run Saba, said Saudi aircraft targeted the market in Al-Waziya with several strikes². Military spokesman Yahya Saree said the aircraft took off from Saudi Arabia's Khamis Mushait base². Al Jazeera said the Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of three air strikes¹.

Yemeni military spokesman Majed al-Nuzaili, also rendered Al-Nuzaili, said the Houthis fired a ballistic missile at the market and called the attack a war crime^1,3. He said the strike reflected targeting of civilians after battlefield setbacks or failed missile launches, according to Arab News³.

Local authorities in Taiz blamed Houthi missile fire, said no military aircraft had struck Waziyah on Friday, and called for an independent examination of evidence at the scene^2,3. There had been no response from Saudi-led coalition forces, Al Jazeera reported¹. Al Jazeera said it could not independently verify the reports¹.

Al Jazeera correspondent Yousef Mawry, reporting from Sanaa, said fighting has been ongoing in al-Waziiya, which is Houthi-controlled, and that the Saudi-led coalition has been attacking daily to take the district and its mountain range¹. He said control of the district would mean control of most of the western Red Sea coastline¹.

The Yemeni army said it recaptured several areas in Taiz on Friday, including al-Nidani village, Shaab al-Sarari, large parts of Sanamat and Ribat al-Qarn in Dhi al-Barh, and imposed a siege on entrances to al-Sarari^1,2.

While Houthis control much of the governorate, Taiz city is government-held and has been under a Houthi siege that Al Jazeera said has lasted 30 days¹. Arab News said the siege has cut major supply routes for food, fuel, water and medical supplies³. The World Food Programme warned last month that fighting had cut more than 800,000 people from food assistance, Arab News reported³.

Yemen's government launched Operation Dawn of Yemen on Oct. 5 to take Houthi-held territory, Al Jazeera reported¹. Al-Nuzaili said the market attack would strengthen the army's determination to continue that campaign³.