Status: 01/18/2022 3:12 p.m
The Saudi-led military coalition has launched airstrikes on the Yemeni capital, Sana’a. Several people were killed. The bombing is seen as a retaliatory strike after attacks in Abu Dhabi.
A day after the attacks in the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi, the military coalition led by Saudi Arabia responded with counterattacks in Yemen. The United Arab Emirates also belong to the military alliance.
According to reports from the Saudi Arabian state television channel El-Echbariya, “camps and headquarters of the Houthis” in Yemen’s capital Sana’a were the targets of the bombing. The rebel group claimed responsibility for the attacks in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
Several dead and injured
Several people were killed by the air raids: the dpa news agency reported at least twelve fatalities, the AFP news agency spoke of at least eleven people killed. In addition, several people were injured. The information ministry in Sana’a, which is close to the Houthis, said the number of victims could increase as local residents were still buried under the rubble of destroyed buildings.
The State Secretary of the Ministry of Information criticized the fact that ambulances and rescue workers were also attacked. Doctors were also among the fatalities. In addition, there were no military targets in the attack area, instead five residential buildings were hit.
Tank truck and airport attacked
Yemen has been at war since 2015 between President Abd Rabbo Mansur Hadi’s troops, backed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other Arab states, and Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Monday’s attack in Abu Dhabi was the first by the Houthis in the United Arab Emirates. The target was three tanker trucks that exploded in an industrial area. A fire also broke out near the city’s international airport.
It was initially said that the attacks were carried out using drones. Houthi military spokesman Jahja Sari said the rebels had used cruise missiles. The airport was shot at with a ballistic missile. According to the police, three people were killed in the attack.
UN concerned about spate of attacks in Yemen
The United Nations warned of a further escalation of the conflict in Yemen. Since the beginning of the year, the military alliance led by Saudi Arabia has carried out almost 840 airstrikes on the country. In December there were more than 1000.
The UN urged all states involved to ensure the protection of civilians and civilian facilities. In a statement, the UN classified deliberate attacks on non-military targets as war crimes. At the same time, they again emphasized that there could be “no military solution to this conflict”.