Two staff members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) were shot and killed in Yemen early on Wednesday, the Geneva-based organisation has said.
It is believed a single gunman opened fire on a convoy travelling between the northern province of Saada and the capital Sana’a. One staff member died at the scene, in Amran province, and the other in hospital. They worked as a field officer and a driver, and both came from Yemen.
Antoine Grand, head of the ICRC delegation in the country, said it condemned “in the strongest possible terms what appears to have been the deliberate targeting of our staff”.
“Our thoughts and sympathy are with the families and loved ones of our colleagues,” he added. “It is premature for us at this point to determine the impact of this appalling incident on our operations in Yemen. At this time, we want to collect ourselves as a team and support each other in processing this incomprehensible act.”
The ICRC said it was not clear who had carried out the attack, but there had been a number of security incidents involving the organisation in recent months.
Yemen has been mired in violence between Iran-backed Shia rebels, known as Houthis, who control both Saada and Amran, and a Saudi Arabia-led coalition which has the backing of the US and UK.
The conflict has killed more than 2,100 civilians, according to the United Nations.
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