GENEVA: The UN human rights chief is condemning the "repeated failure" of a Saudi-led coalition to avoid hitting civilians in its campaign of air strikes in Yemen, after more than 100 people were killed in one such strike on a crowded village market.

In a statement Friday, Zeid Raad al-Hussein decried the "carnage" from Tuesday's strikes on Al Khamees market in northwestern Hajja province. He called for "transparent, independent" investigations of such strikes.

UN human rights office staffers visited the site Wednesday and found 16 shops destroyed. The statement said they found no evidence of any "significant military objects in the area" at the time.

After the death toll rose to at least 119 people, Saudi Arabia said Thursday its military coalition will scale down operations in Yemen.