Thousands pay respects to Houthi chief Sammad killed in airstrike

Tens of thousands of people hit the streets in the Yemeni capital of Sana’a on Saturday, to pay their final respects to former Houthi political leader Saleh al-Sammad and his six companions who were killed in a Saudi-led airstrike on April 19.

Earlier this week, former director of the Houthis leader office Mahdi al-Mashat was sworn in as president of the Supreme Political Council, replacing Sammad.

Sammad was allegedly killed in an air raid with his six companions on the way to meeting with local officials last Thursday in Hodeidah.

The Saudi-led bombing campaign continues in Yemen with US backing. The United Nations estimated that more than 10,000 have been killed and more than three million people have been displaced since beginning of the war in March 2015.