Pompeo, Saudi Crown Prince Discussed Deadly Attack On School Bus In Yemen - State Dept.

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th August, 2018) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday addressed concerns over the Saudi-led airstrike that killed mostly children, Department of State spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a press briefing on Tuesday.

�Yes, both of those issues did come up in the Secretarys call with his counterpart,� Nauert said when asked whether Pompeo and bin Salman discussed the deadly Saudi-led airstrike or Riyadhs diplomatic dispute with Canada over human rights issues.

On Thursday, a Saudi-led coalition airstrike in the northern province of Saada struck a school bus carrying children from a summer camp. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, a total of 51 people were killed, 40 of them children ages 6 to 11.

Seventy-nine more people were wounded, 56 of them children.

On Monday, the Department of State said in a press release that the phone call between Pompeo and bin Salman had included discussions about Saudi Arabias support for northeast Syrias urgent stabilization needs, Riyadhs engagement with the Iraqi government and its offer to help Iraq address its water and electricity shortages, Saudi Arabias shared support for peace and stability in Afghanistan, and the United Nations efforts to resolve ongoing conflict in Yemen.

The Saudi-led coalition has been conducting airstrikes against Yemen's Houthi rebels since 2015 while also organizing a massive sea blockade of the country, with millions of Yemenis suffering from hunger and lacking access to fresh water.