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A view of a building destroyed by a Saudi-led air strike is seen in Haradh city of Yemen's northwestern province of Hajja May 20, 2015.
STRINGER / REUTERS

Saudi shells hit Yemen aid office, killing five refugees: local official

Saudi shells hit an international aid office in Yemen on Thursday killing five Ethiopian refugees, a local official said, while violence across the country put United Nations-led peace talks in doubt.

The official said that 10 other refugees were wounded when artillery fire and air strikes hit the town of Maydee along Yemen's border with Saudi Arabia in Hajja province, a stronghold of the Iran-allied Houthi rebel group that a Saudi-led Arab alliance has been bombing for eight weeks.

Saudi spokesman Brigadier General Ahmed Asseri denied Saudi involvement and blamed the Houthis. "If the report is correct, it would be the responsibility of the Houthis, who have a big presence in the area," Asseri told Reuters by telephone.

Saudi Arabia has previously denied responsibility for civilian deaths in remote northern areas that residents and local officials ascribed to Saudi fire. U.N. Chief Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday announced peace talks for Geneva on May 28 to try to

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