SANA, Yemen — The death toll in Yemen from the Shi'ite rebel shelling of a town near the southern port city of Aden rose Monday to nearly 100, the head of an international aid group said, describing it as ''the worst day'' for the city and its surroundings in more than three months of fighting.
The rebels, known as Houthis, and allies started shelling the town of Dar Saad on Sunday after losing control of some of Aden's neighborhoods, according to several reports. The violence highlighted the bloody chaos of the civil war gripping the Arab world's poorest country, which also has been the target of Saudi-led airstrikes since late March.
Hassan Boucenine of the Geneva-based Doctors Without Borders said that by Monday his organization reported nearly 100 people dead, twice the casualty toll from the previous day.
The shelling also wounded about 200 people, said Boucenine, the head of the organization in Yemen. Of the victims, 80 percent were civilians, including many pregnant women, elderly people, and children, he added.
''Yesterday was the worst day in Aden since [the Saudi-led coalition campaign] started in March,'' Boucenine said, adding that he fears ''attacks on civilians will continue.''
Sunday's shelling in Dar Saad began after the Houthi rebels lost control of much of the Aden district of Tawahi, according to officials and witnesses. Tawahi is now under a security lockdown, the officials said, as anti-Houthi forces search buildings looking for rebels, some of whom had fled to the nearby mountains.
Overnight, the Saudi-led coalition targeted Houthi positions north of Aden and in Dar Saad, killing at least 55 rebels, officials and witnesses said.