A Saudi-led coalition attack on a residential area near the border with Saudi Arabia in Saada province on 9 March left two civilians dead and several others injured. The Saudi-led coalition has been accused of causing the ‘world’s worst humanitarian crisis’ in the Arab world’s poorest country. The Saudi-led coalition has continued with its aggression against Yemen, carrying out dozens of airstrikes and artillery attacks across the country this week which killed one civilian and injured at least three.
According to local media reports, coalition forces opened fire on the village without any provocation. The incident came just a few hours after three civilians, including an African migrant, were injured after being shot by coalition forces in another village in the same area.
Yemeni towns and villages located along the Saudi-Yemen border have for years been subjected to missiles and artillery attacks by the Saudi-led coalition. The attacks have led to significant casualties and destruction to infrastructure.
The coalition claims the attacks target members of the Yemeni Armed Forces who it accuses of using the residential areas to launch cross-border attacks. The Yemeni army has denied the accusations, saying the claims by the coalition are an attempt to justify attacks on civilians.
According to article eight of the Rome statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), any intentional attacks on civilians who are not taking part in the hostilities amount to war crimes.
The government of Yemen has on numerous occasions accused the international community and the United Nations (UN) of failing to investigate possible war crimes committed by the Saudi-led coalition.
In addition to killing civilians, the coalition also purposefully bombs essential facilities such as hospitals and water treatment plants. This has led to an increase in the prevalence of diseases especially water-borne diseases such as cholera and typhoid.
Local media outlets reported that the casualty was recorded in Saada province when the coalition shelled a village located near the border with Saudi Arabia. This was the second time the village was shelled in the last seven days.
According to media reports, the coalition also carried out dozens of airstrikes in Marib and Hodeidah provinces, resulting in significant damage to commercial and residential buildings. It is not yet clear if there were any casualties recorded in these attacks.
The Saudi-led coalition routinely bombs civilian residential areas and infrastructure, such as hospitals, water wells, schools, telecommunication towers, and power plants. This conduct amounts to war crimes under the Rome statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) which prohibits attacks on unarmed civilians and buildings.
The government of Yemen has accused the international community of turning a blind eye to the atrocities committed by the coalition against the people of Yemen.
Meanwhile, the Yemeni Armed Forces and fighters from the allied Popular Committees have continued to make progress against the Saudi-led coalition and the mercenaries fighting alongside it.
On 28 February the Yemen army shot down US-made ScanEagle reconnaissance drone belonging to the coalition. The drone was intercepted and shot down as it was conducting a reconnaissance mission over Hajjah province.
تمكنت دفاعاتنا الجوية بفضل الله من إسقاط طائرة تجسسية نوع (سكان إيغل Scan Eagle) أمريكية الصنع، بسلاح مناسب وذلك أثناء قيامها بأعمال عدائية صباح اليوم في أجواء مديرية حرض بمحافظة حجة.
— العميد يحيى سريع (@army21ye) February 28, 2022
The Yemeni Armed Forces have in recent months shot down dozens of drones belonging to the Saudi-led coalition. The drones, which the coalition acquires from the US, China, and Turkey at a huge cost, have proven to be no match to surface-to-air missiles that are locally assembled.
Saudi Arabia alongside its regional allies invaded Yemen in early 2015 with the aim of overthrowing the Ansarallah resistance movement and restoring to power the administration of ousted president Abd Mansour Hadi. According to the UN, the war has killed at least 230,000 people and triggered what has been described as the world’s worst humanitarian disaster.
