At least 50 prisoners of war were killed when the Saudi-led coalition launched a series of airstrikes overnight on a prison in Yemen's central province of Dhamar, the Houthi-controlled health ministry said in a statement early Sunday morning.

Axar.az reports citing Xinhua.

"At least 50 were killed in seven airstrikes by the coalition warplanes against the prison and 100 others wounded, as rescue teams were still searching for possible survivors under rubble," it said, adding that the death toll could rise as many injured are in critical conditions.

Meanwhile, the Houthi-run al-Masirah television reported on its website that "the targeted prison is located inside a complex of the Community College in the center of Dhamar and that the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) has visited it several times."

"The prison's location is publicly known to both the ICRC and the enemy Saudi and Emirati-led coalition," the television said, citing a statement by the group's so-called Prisoners Committee.

According to the Houthis, about 170 prisoners captured while they were fighting alongside the government forces in several front lines, have been inside the targeted prison for months.

"They were about to be released within days in a prisoner swap," the Houthi TV added.

However, the Saudi-led coalition said its airstrikes overnight on Dhamar targeted "a Houthi location for hostile air defense missiles and drone storages," Saudi-owned AL Arabiya television reported on Twitter.